Spinning out of control
by Alina Larin
Summary: Completed. Cole's life changes completely after a stranger comes to see him in the Wasteland. This is a sequel for "When you life takes a turn".
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Cole Turner, Darryl Morris, Leo Wyatt, the Charmed Ones and other characters related to Charmed belong to Spelling production and WB. Nicole Berg and the rest of characters were created by me.  
  
Here is the promised sequel. Hope you'll enjoy it. Please let me know.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"This is an absolute disaster," Carlos fumed during the emergency meeting of the Lugel council. "And it's all your fault," he glared at Celina and Vladimir. "It was you who insisted on not telling them about the Prophecy. You said they would get there anyway. And here is the result. He's sealed himself in some God forsaken plain, and even we can't get to him. And she locked herself in the family mausoleum. Great success of our plans!"  
  
"We need to be patient, Carlos," Vladimir answered calmly. "It's just a fight, they'll get through it. If anything it proves that we were right. They do have feelings for each other."  
  
The Spanish Lugel just snorted, "And let me ask you, how long will it take them to figure it out?" he asked sarcastically. "Because I have to remind you we don't have forever here."  
  
Annoyance clouded Celina's beautiful face. "I don't think we would have moved anywhere at all if we told them about the Prophecy. For, God's sake, Carlos, we are talking about two grown up individuals. They would just tell us to get lost and by the way be absolutely right in doing so. And we would have been left with nothing."  
  
"They are not just individuals," Radgiv remarked, "they are the Lugels and the Chosen Two."  
  
"Exactly," Celina smiled triumphantly, "they are crucial for our mission and if we lose their trust by rushing things, especially when it's not necessary, then we would just destroy our chance to fulfil the most important task in our history. Does any of you want this responsibility on your conscious?"  
  
The rest of the Council stayed silent. Then Dorian asked, "So do you think we should just wait and not interfere?"  
  
"For now yes, if they don't sort things out by Monday we can try to reason with both of them, but I would warn anybody against revealing them the Prophecy."  
  
Cole was sitting on the beach looking at the purple sea in front of him. Its roaring sound reflected his own pain and anger. He did not know what time it was or how long he'd been there. After leaving Nicole, he blurred to the Penthouse. But one look at it made his heart explode with memories. Everything in there reminded him of her. The smell of her perfume, plants she brought in after shyly asking him for permission. Even that stupid fish tank, which he bought for her during their first date. It was just two days ago and seemed like ages. That evening they somehow ended up in the tropical interior design store and Nicole got completely glued to a big aquarium full of tropical fish. When Cole jokingly offered to buy it she got completely ecstatic, which he found very funny and endearing. Now all these little things reminded him about her and he could not bare it. He blurred away from his house and moved from dimension to dimension trying to run away from the dark thoughts.  
  
After a while he ended up in the Signa plain with its purple sea and blue mountains. Cole knew this plain well. He remembered it from his childhood, though he'd been there only a few times. First his mother brought him there shortly after they moved to the Underworld. They came again when Cole's first powers manifested. And then she brought him there just before he was placed under Raynor's mentorship. She always said that it was a safe place for him. And when he was hiding from the Source's bounty hunters he spent a lot of time in Signa plain. He especially liked this part of the beach with a beautiful view of the mountains. And it was convenient that there was a small hut there built just a few feet away from the shore.  
  
Now he came here just to be alone. He did not want see anybody or talk to anybody. And hoped that he could figure out a way to be able to face Nicole Berg on Monday morning and then see her every day, talk to her, work with her and still keep his sanity. He smiled bitterly to himself, it sounded so easy and was almost impossible to do. For a moment Cole regretted that he ever let his human half take control. Life was much easier when he was just a demon Belthazor, it was empty but easier.  
  
Cole sat on the beach until it got completely dark, he tried really hard to calm down, but instead he was getting more and more angry and if he was honest with himself there was now a significant degree of despair tainting his anger. He went back to the hut. During his last trip he left some supplies in there and as far as he could remember there were a couple of bottles of 20 year old scotch among them. He doubted it would help him to feel better but maybe he'll manage to knock himself out enough to have a dreamless night of sleep, a short break from the hell reigning in his heart.  
  
Two hours later and two bottles empty Cole finally collapsed on the bed more unconscious than asleep. Next day he woke up late in the afternoon feeling horrible and exhausted. He found some aspirin and swallowed two tablets. The pounding headache made him want to cut his head off but it had one plus, it prevented him from thinking and at the moment he welcomed it. After an hour of laying still and some food he gathered his strength and went for a swim. By the time he got out of the water he was totally wasted and just lay on the beach enjoying the moderate heat of the evening sun. He did not notice how he fell asleep.  
  
Suddenly he heard a quiet voice, "Cole, can you hear me?"  
  
He opened his eyes and saw Nicole Berg standing in front of him. "How did you get here?" he demanded angrily, "I sealed this place from everybody, especially you."  
  
She flinched as if from sudden pain but then forced a smile, "I could not get through your shields but I could get into you conscious at least when you're asleep."  
  
For a second he looked surprised and then his mouth twisted into a bitter smile, "So you managed to get to me," he said sarcastically, "Congratulations, great use of powers. I just wonder why you went through so much troubles? If you were worried that I was going to give up on the precious Chosen Two than you should not have bothered. Firstly, I am not suicidal to be messing with the Lugels and secondly, I always honour my promises." He was about to add something else but restrained himself.  
  
Nicole shook her head, "I did not come to talk about magic, I came to talk about us," she responded tensely.  
  
"There is no us," Cole's face hardened. "You made it perfectly clear. Unless of course you want "to stay friends"," his voice was now dripping with derision and contempt. "But I have to disappoint you on this one. You are a bit late with this suggestion. You should have told me before you slept with me."  
  
Nicole's cheeks flashed red and her hand moved as if she was ready to slap him in a face. She restrained herself and closed her eyes for a moment. When she looked back at Cole there was nothing but sheer determination on her face. "You can insult me all you want, Cole, but pushing me away is not going to make you feel any better. I know it from my own recent experience." Her lips twisted into a curt smile. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin so her eyes bored into his, "I came to tell you that I was wrong. That I am sorry. That I would do whatever it takes to make it up to you, to make it right."  
  
Never in his 117 years life Cole Turner had ever been that stunned. He looked at her open mouthed trying to take in her words. Nicole waited for his answer trembling inside, praying to all the Gods as if she was waiting for her life sentence. He finally managed to regain control of himself at least on the outside.  
  
"Nicole, I don't know..." he started.  
  
But she interrupted him with a passion he'd never seen before. "All I am asking is a chance to explain myself. Phoebe never gave you that chance, please don't be like her. I know that subconsciously you want to hear me out otherwise I would never be able to penetrate your dreams. Don't let your mind stop you," she looked at him pleadingly. "Please Cole, just hear me out. Then you can decide."  
  
He could not stand the pleading look in her eyes. His heart and mind were tearing him in half. Cole twitched and Nicole disappeared. He sat up breathing heavily: he was still on the beach, it was very early morning, the sun just started to come up from behind the horizon. And there was nobody around. For a second he just stared in front of him trying to come down.  
  
She managed to get to him. He was not ready to face her. Hell, he'll never be ready. Cole quickly got up and splashed some water into his face, pulled on his trousers and started to button the shirt but ended up messing up the buttons. That was the last drop and all frustration and anger, which was bottled up inside him for the past thirty six hours, spilled out. He sent a massive fireball flying into the sea, a loud roar escaping his mouth. He did not have the patience to redo the buttons and just tore them away with his telekinesis. This was getting ridiculous. Even when Phoebe gave up on him he did not feel so lost. He ran his hand through his hair and then quickly waved his hand before he could change his mind. A few moments passed and nothing happened. Then he heard a quiet shimmer and Nicole appeared in front of him.  
  
She was pale and tired. In black trousers and top, she looked even younger and very vulnerable so that the only thing he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and protect her. But he pushed his feelings away and looked at her sternly. Nicole wished desperately that he would say something, just to break this horrible silence. But the half demon did not trust his voice, so he remained silent, hating himself for treating her like that.  
  
Nicole took a deep breath, "Thank you," she started her voice unusually husky. She paused and looked around hoping against hope that he would just take her in his arms. But she knew there was no chance of that. A small voice in her head was telling her to get out, to flee from that man who had such power over her. Afraid that if she waited any longer she would not be able to go through with her confession she decided to dive into the deep end. "Please don't interrupt me. It's difficult enough as it is," she said clearing her throat. "You already know about me probably more than anybody else. I am not used to share my feelings with people. My mother is not a very warm person, at least since I can remember her. I grew up in the very strict all girls' boarding school. Knowing what I know now I think my mother tried to get any magic out of me since she considered it evil. So she put me into the school, which prepared future nuns. It is only thanks to a couple of teachers that I managed to get into the University. I never had relatives or even close friends before I became a student. At University I worked very hard and did not really care for much private life. During the weekends I worked in the pub trying to earn some money. My goal was to get a good degree, which promised a decent job and independency from my mother," she paused and then continued. "I am not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me but so that you can understand that I was very naïve then. When I started work I met Chris. He was the first one to whom I opened up. And you know what happened, he got back with his wife. I felt hurt and humiliated. Probably more humiliated then hurt. Through all my life my pride was the only thing, which made me going. And it took a severe blow when Chris told me he tried to love me and just could not. I vowed to never expose myself like this. This fear of feeling unwanted and embarrassed ruled my life for the last five years. I met people, I went on dates and I never let anybody close to me. And until now I've never regretted it." She paused again and then forced herself to look at him. "When I met you, things changed. I knew straight away that you were a danger to my peace of mind. But I could not, did not want to fight against my feelings to you. When I learnt about you and Phoebe I started to have nightmares of you getting back with her. It just so much reminded me about Chris and on Friday I saw the living version of this nightmare. And it was much worse than I could ever imagine." Nicole took a deep breath trying to compose herself and then continued in a quieter voice. "All my alarm bells went off and I could not think straight. So I acted as I have done many times before. But unlike before when you left I realized that with my own hands I just destroyed my own chance of happiness. And for the first time I wanted to fight my fear, to take a risk just so I could be with you. You showed me how life could be. And I made a horrible mistake of letting my own fears to destroy it and now..." she looked around helplessly, "I don't know what to do, except ask you to forgive me and to give us another chance."  
  
Her words deeply touched him. His heart was screaming for him to take her in his arms, brush away her tears with his lips but his mind was ordering to do exactly the opposite. He could not go through this again.  
  
"Nicole," he said quietly, "I know that it's been hard for you and I understand, believe me, but you have to understand me as well. I already went through this with Phoebe. I fought against her reservations and fears and I lost. And I just can't do it again. I learnt a hard way that there is no future if people don't trust each other and I just don't think you will ever trust me completely. Part of you will always be scared that I will go back to Phoebe. And considering what we do, we will run into her a lot and if every time you'll react like this, it just won't work between us. I am not saying that I blame you for this. I would have probably behaved the same way. But it does not change the facts. I need somebody who will believe me unconditionally. And you can't do that." He paused and added even quieter. "I am really sorry."  
  
Nicole's shoulder sagged in defeat and she turned around trying to hide tears streaming down her face. She brushed them away violently. "You know," she said, "I learnt one important thing last night. There is a big difference between trust and guarantees. Nothing in this life is guaranteed, Cole. I can't give you a 100% guarantee that I never get scared of you going back to Phoebe, but you can't give me a guarantee that you never leave me. But what I can promise you is that I will fight my fears with all I have and will never let them come between us. I said once I trusted you won't hurt me. And I can repeat it now. Now it's your turn to trust me. Everybody can make a mistake, Cole, and I believe I deserve a second chance."  
  
Her eyes sparkled from emotion and unshed tears but she managed to keep them under control. The half demon had a familiar sensation of drowning in her eyes, which like a magical mirror showed her inner soul. They were proud and vulnerable, pleading and determined and unbelievably beautiful. "I am going to stay at my uncle's house," her voice sounded unusually flat. "If you change your mind, I'll be there." With these words she shimmered away and Cole was left alone, touched and stunned, his thoughts and emotions in disarray.  
  
Nicole arrived to her uncle's house and never had she such weight on her heart. The hope fought with desperation and pride with love. For the first time she had poured her heart out to a man, to a human being and part of her felt humiliated by his refusal. But another part told her that she had to try. She would never have forgiven herself for not trying. And now, it's not up to her anymore. She sat in front of the piano and started playing one piece after another. She played for hours pouring her emotions into music. When she was too tired to carry on, she curled up in a chair and just stared into the garden, waiting. The sun slowly made it usual way from east to west and when it rolled behind the horizon, she knew it was over. Her and Cole were over. He could not forgive and she would not be able to humble herself like this again. In a spree of a moment she decided to go to the Penthouse and pack her belongings. She blurred away and reappeared on the balcony. After screening the apartment she knew that Cole was not back yet and blurred inside. Memories overwhelmed her. She spent the happiest times of her life in this place. Here her life took a turn, turn for the better. Nicole realized that she would not be able to collect her belongings if she wanted to keep her sanity. Cole could send it to her if he wanted. The only things she'll take would be the fish tank he bought for her and something, which will remind her about him. Something that belonged to him and that she could keep as a memory. She wondered into his bedroom, which they shared during the last three days. It looked just as they left it on Friday night when everything was still okay. His shirt was still lying on the bed. Nicole loved this shirt, he wore it the first time they met and he looked gorgeous in it. Now it still smelled of him and the young woman lost control of her feelings. She stood in the middle of the room sobbing into the fabric.  
  
A warm hand touched her shoulder, "I am sorry I made you cry," a masculine voice said.  
  
She froze and slowly turned around fearing that it would be just an illusion created by her hopeful heart. He stood in front of her, his eyes focused on her face.  
  
"Cole?" she asked as if doubting her own vision.  
  
"I was looking for you in your uncle's house," he explained in a hoarse whisper. "But you weren't there, so I thought you decided to come home," he stressed the last word.  
  
"You really mean it?" she asked quietly.  
  
He nodded, "You were right, there are no guarantees but I can promise that I will do whatever it takes to make you happy," he paused and added even quieter, "if you let me..."  
  
Nicole felt as if the knife, which was pointing in her heart for the last two days had been removed allowing her to breath freely. She shrieked and jumped into his arms. He caught her and both got lost in a passionate kiss.  
  
Next morning Nicole Berg and Cole Turner were late for work. 


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you very much for reviews and suggestions. It took me quite a long time to write the next chapter and it's finally ready. Let me know, what you think.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Cole and Nicole were sitting in one of the DLM meeting rooms surrounded by tons of paperwork. The deal they've been working on was finally coming together. And after a brainstorming meeting this morning they managed to finalise the last details. Now it was way past lunch time and they were happy to have a short break with sandwiches and coffee.  
  
The half demon stretched his back and pushed away the contract they were going through.  
  
"I am sick of this deal," he complained. "And this bloody vampire coven is the most boring bunch I've ever seen."  
  
Nicole smiled at him, "Of course, they are all men. You much more preferred to deal with this Italian investor woman."  
  
He shot her a mockingly annoyed look, "You are not the one to talk. I personally heard Clark saying that when he's negotiating the next big deal he wants you there because of the way you charmed the Head of Delway Enterprises so he was eating out of your hands and signed that ridiculous contract."  
  
Nicole's eyes sparkled dangerously, "Clark is just a sexist pig," she shot angrily, "and you, mister, are walking on very thin ice."  
  
Cole shot her a teasing look and chuckled, "No, I am not. Who do you think messed up Clark's paperwork so he looked like a complete idiot during the last management meeting?"  
  
"It was you?" Nicole uttered in disbelief.  
  
"Well, I had to make sure that he could not steal my negotiating partner. Can't take any risks," his eyes swept over her and the intensity of his gaze made her body ignite.  
  
"You are..." she whispered giving him a stern look and blushing at the same time.  
  
He shot her a bright smile but it did not fade the desire in his eyes. Nicole shook her head to stop herself from falling under the power of his eyes.  
  
"Stop it," she said shooting a stream of cold air into his face. "We need to finish this and we need to talk about other things." She gave him a meaningful look.  
  
Cole closed his eyes for a moment. He did not know what was going on with him, but whenever he saw Nicole the only thing he wanted to do was to take her to some uninhabited island where they'd be away from the whole world. He took a deep breath and tried to get his thoughts back to work.  
  
"Well, this contract is pretty much done," he said in a business tone. "So I think we should concentrate on other things. I did not enjoy Vladimir showing up in the Penthouse at seven in the morning enquiring about our progress. I think Lugels are getting impatient."  
  
Nicole nodded, "Did you notice that he looked a bit..." she paused trying to find the right word, "anxious?"  
  
Cole thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I had a feeling that he was completely stressed out when he blurred in. But then he came down and when he was asking all these questions he seemed to be not that worried about the answers."  
  
"Anyway," Nicole pushed away her thoughts about Vladimir's strange behaviour away. "I think our next step should be with Leo. We need to get this part of the plan moving since I don't think your mother needs a lot of help!?"  
  
Cole gave her displeased look, "If anything my mother needs to be kept an eye on. But I agree at the moment Leo is a priority," he scowled.  
  
Nicole smiled, "You are not very keen on working with him?"  
  
He gave her unhappy look, "I just know it's going to be a real pain. Leo used to be a nice guy and you could work with him. But ever since Prue died and especially after the whole Source story he became very subdued and lost all will power. He just trails behind the Charmed sisters and does whatever the Elders tell him."  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Nicole asked seriously.  
  
"I think all we can do is to talk to him. But I suggest you do most of the talking. Leo is extremely prejudiced against me. And if I open my mouth he is going to go onto the defensive and surround himself with spikes like a porcupine."  
  
Nicole could not contain a chuckle, her imagination painting a vivid picture of the porcupine with Leo's face. She tried to sober up and asked, "Do you want me to go alone?"  
  
"No," he shot with a speed of the bullet. "It's not safe for you to go alone."  
  
Nicole gave him an annoyed look, "He is just a whitelighter, Cole. He can't really do anything to me."  
  
The half demon's face remained serious, "Anybody can be a threat and Leo is not just a whitelighter, he's a Charmed Ones whitelighter," he said sternly. "We are going together, no discussions."  
  
Nicole knew that it was pointless arguing with him. Part of her was touched by his concern. And another part was slightly annoyed that he did not trust her to do things on her own. But she did not want to pick a fight. Since they got back together last Sunday she was so overwhelmingly happy and she was well aware how fragile this happiness was.  
  
"Fine," she answered curtly. "But we need to find a way to talk to Leo without the Charmed Ones or the Elders knowing and even suspecting anything."  
  
Cole thought about it for a moment, "We need to get him when he's with one of his charges," he suggested. "The Elders would think he's been called by a witch, so would the Charmed Ones and we can talk to him freely."  
  
"Sounds good," Nicole nodded approvingly, "but it would be better if it was somewhere abroad. Further away from the Halliwells. Do you know if Leo has any charges somewhere in Europe?"  
  
"England," he answered straight away. "Leo definitely has a charge in London. I heard him complaining about the weather there."  
  
"I am not surprised," Nicole smiled wryly. "You, Californians, are completely spoiled with the amount of sunshine you get."  
  
"Or don't tell me that you would prefer London's weather," he retorted smiling, "I know you like sunshine otherwise you wouldn't be nagging me every evening to go for a walk to the beach?"  
  
Nicole gave him a foul look and said, hiding a smile, "Okay, back to reality. How do we find Leo's charge? There are eight million people in London."  
  
"You can read Leo's mind like you did it before. Then we'll get to the witch and convince her to call Leo."  
  
"That's sounds like a good plan," Nicole nodded approvingly.  
  
Cole's mouth twisted into a sarcastic smile, "According to the Powers to Be it's more of an evil plan."  
  
In the afternoon Leo Wyatt was summoned to the Elder's Council. He orbed straight away and then had to wait for a while before they were ready to talk to him. There were a few other whitelighters waiting. The two of them Leo did not know. One was a woman in her late forties with dark hair and grey eyes. She had a very distant look and just nodded in response to his greeting. The man who stood not far from her was the same age as Leo and had blond hair and dark eyes. His head was bowed but his alert eyes were scanning the surroundings. Something in his manner of looking from under his eyebrows looked familiar to Leo but he could not remember where from. But whitelighter did not have time to muse over it, the Elders were ready to talk to him.  
  
Shortly after Leo was summoned into the Council chambers the two whitelighters orbed out from the waiting hall. They reappeared in the luxury Penthouse. But instead of the dark haired woman who left the Elders realm, it was Nicole Berg who arrived to the Penthouse, and the blond haired man regained dark hair and piercing blue eyes belonging to Cole Turner.  
  
"That was fun," Cole grimaced. "Now I understand Leo much better. If he has to spend so much time in such a sterile and boring atmosphere, no wonder, his mind has turned the same way. At least the Underworld was fun, with all the flames, caverns and darkness. "  
  
Nicole grinned, "It's just your wicked mind," she told him trying to sound serious. "It does not allow you to appreciate the tranquillity of the Elders realm."  
  
In response to her word Cole just laughed, "Oh, don't give me that," he said still chuckling. "You could not be faster in getting out of there. It's lucky that you don't have to become the Head Elder. You would be bored out of your brain being stuck there for months. Plus you would have to wear that dull white robe all day long and knowing your taste I can safely say it would have driven you up the wall."  
  
"Watch it, Turner," Nicole gave him a warning look. "Because I can start commenting on the number of designer shirts in your wardrobe and it's way more than any self respecting heterosexual male could admit to."  
  
The last word just escaped her mouth when she found herself being pressed against the wall. His mouth came down on hers and she completely lost herself in the passionate kiss, her hands wrapped around his shoulders. They broke apart almost gasping for air. "I don't think you are the one to doubt my sexual orientation," he whispered hoarsely, his lips just a millimetre away from her neck so his hot breath made her body shiver with desire. For a moment they both stared at each other and then a warm smile touched her lips. He replied with the same smile and gently kissed her cheek reluctantly pulling away from her.  
  
Leo Wyatt just got home from his meeting with the Elders. They were again going on about the massive surge of powers that happened in front of the Penthouse two weeks ago. Leo was tired from this endless conversation. The Elders still did not know what it was and as far as he could see they had no way of finding out. Several times Leo suggested that they should try to find it out from Cole using some truth telling potion. But the Elders were completely against it as if they harboured some utterly irrational fear of him. Instead they insisted that the Charmed Ones look through the whole Book of Shadows trying to find power amplifying spells. Leo was summoned every day to report on the progress and he was getting completely fed up with it.  
  
He was deep in these gloomy musings when he got home. He saw Piper standing in front of the cooker with a wooden spoon in her hand. Her belly started to really show and to Leo she never looked more beautiful in her life. When she heard the sound of his orbs she turned around and smiled at him. He gave her a kiss and breathed in the tasty smell of her cooking. He was really looking forward to a nice meal. Suddenly he heard the call of one of his charges and could not stop himself from cursing silently. So much for a nice meal and a quiet evening.  
  
Piper knew the look on her husband's face. She was disappointed but not surprised when he gave her apologetic smile, "I am sorry, honey, I have to go. But I'll try be as soon as I can, promise."  
  
She nodded and he orbed out. Piper returned to her cooking. Her face now expressing feelings the complete opposite of the calmness she radiated just a minute ago.  
  
Leo orbed into his charge's apartment, "Helen," he called out and stopped mid sentence staring at two people in front of him.  
  
"Hi Leo," Nicole greeted him calmly sitting in the comfortable chair next to the fireplace.  
  
The whitelighter gaped at her and then turned to his ex brother-in-law who was looming on the mantel piece. "What did you do to her?" Leo demanded angrily directing his question to Cole, whose relaxed posture made Leo wish that he possessed at least some powers of his charges.  
  
"She's just asleep on the couch in the next room," Nicole replied gently. "You can check if you want," she suggested, "she's your charge after all."  
  
Leo concentrated for a moment. When he was sure enough that Helen was unharmed he turned to the couple in front of him and gave them a hard stare, "So what are you doing here?"  
  
Nicole smiled, "We came to talk to you," she explained politely. "And we wanted to do it away from your family and your bosses, which made this place perfect."  
  
"We have nothing to talk about," Leo snarled, his anger rising from the confidence, which these two radiated.  
  
"Oh, yes, we do," Nicole disagreed. "And I think you should sit down because it will be a long talk."  
  
The whitelighter hesitated.  
  
"Leo," Nicole spoke up again. "I know there is a wide gap between us and you have many reservations. But we would not have come here without a very good reason. Important not only for us but for you as well."  
  
Her voice sounded very sincere and under her steady gaze he set down in the chair shooting a weary glance towards Cole who so far had not said a word.  
  
"Good," Nicole smiled. "What we are going to tell you is very secret and you have to promise that you won't tell anybody, even the Charmed Ones or your bosses."  
  
"I will not promise anything like that," Leo shot.  
  
"You have to," she insisted calmly. "There is too much at stake here and we can't risk you telling anybody. I can promise you that what I will tell you is not going to harm your family in any way or the Elders."  
  
"How do I know you are not lying?" he asked warily.  
  
His suspiciousness started to annoy her but she could not let him notice it. Nicole took a deep breath, "You'll just have to trust me," she replied simply. "I don't want to threaten you, Leo. It's not why we came here. But I have to tell you that I not only can read people's minds but also manipulate them and I can make sure that you won't remember a word from this conversation."  
  
He stared at her with hateful eyes. Nicole inwardly sighed. It was not going well. It seemed that Leo hated not only Cole but everybody who was connected to him, in a true Halliwell style.  
  
"Look, Leo," she continued, "Of course you can refuse to talk to us. But believe me you don't want this burden on your conscious. You are not risking lives by not telling anybody about our conversation. On the opposite you can save many lives by listening to us."  
  
The whitelighter just sat there. Part of him wanted to orb out but the one look at his ex brother-in-law told him that he probably wouldn't be able to do it. Plus by staying he might be able to find out something about this surge of powers the Elders were so concerned about.  
  
"I am listening," he said coldly, indicating that he agreed to their condition but it did not make him like them any better.  
  
Cole had to concentrate really hard to hide the smile looking at Leo trying to hold his own against Nicole.  
  
"Great," she nodded. "Then I'll start from the beginning. We are working for the Lugels. Have you heard about them?"  
  
Leo's face turned pale and he stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"I see you have," Nicole commented calmly. "As you probably know the Lugels' main aim is to protect the magic world from exposure and to maintain the balance of powers between good and evil. At the moment the magic world faces probably the greatest threat in all its history: the total extinction due to the efficiency, with which opposite sides have been killing each other. We've been hired to negotiate a peace deal between the good and the evil and this way to prevent further bloodshed. And we would like you to help us to achieve this goal."  
  
Cole thoroughly enjoyed watching the whitelighter's expression changing from surprised to total shock then disbelief and at the end becoming completely confused. When Nicole finished it took Leo a long time to recover his ability to talk. He shook his head and said in a shaky voice. "This is ridiculous. At the moment with the Underworld in chaos the good finally has a chance to take an upper hand and defeat the evil forever."  
  
Both Cole and Nicole rolled their eyes and the latter exclaimed, "Common, Leo, you cannot be serious. To defeat evil! You must know it's impossible. The good and the evil will always exist and one cannot defeat the other. And as long as they are in balance there will be no threat to the world. But if the balance is broken, that's when the real danger starts. The world is like a large old clock with evil on the left side and good on the right side. The further away the pendulum moves from the centre towards one of these sides, the further back it would swing next. And if the fluctuations are too large the clock will simply break. It would mean a complete chaos for the magic world. And very quickly the chaos will spread into the mortal world, completely ruining it."  
  
She paused and Leo shook his head, "I don't know where you get these ideas," he finally said. "But even if all you told me is true, you should be talking about it with the Elders, not with me."  
  
His words made Cole lose his patience, "For God's sakes, Leo," he said sternly, "stop being such a wimp. You can't just wallow in your guilt for the rest of your life because you could not safe Prue or prevent the whole Source fiasco. You need to move on and start taking responsibility for your actions. Become the true guardian angel, who is not scared to think for himself."  
  
Leo's face reddened, "Well, at least some of us are able to feel guilt," he yelled standing up so his face was right in front of Cole. "I know that for you it's a totally unknown feeling. After everything you've done, all the blood and broken hearts on your hands! If you had any good in you, you would just have stayed dead."  
  
Cole's eyes turned into two pieces of ice, "At least I have the courage to face my past and move on. But you and your precious charges will always hide your heads in the sand, blaming everybody but themselves for anything bad happening in your lives. Well, at least I am not your scapegoat anymore."  
  
Leo's fist clenched and he tried to punch the half demon. But the latter just side stepped him and instead of Cole's face whitelighter's hand came in direct touch with the wall. The next moment Leo found himself back in the chair, Nicole Berg standing in front of him. She looked annoyed, "That's enough," she said sternly. "You don't trust us, that's fine. I expected that. But you seemed to completely lack the capacity to listen. And this leaves me no choice. I did not want to tell you this. Since I believe nobody deserves to live with such knowledge on their conscience. But your stupid stubbornness forces me to do it. I told you that helping us would not harm your family, actually quite the opposite. Well, now you'll see the proof of that for yourself."  
  
She grabbed Leo's hand and the next moment he was drawn into what could only be a very powerful premonition. He saw the attic in the Halliwell Manor. Piper, Paige and Phoebe, all of them looking in their late forties were sitting around the Book of Shadows. A figure dressed in black hooded robe appeared in front of them. The three women looked horrified, they started chanting and several ghosts appeared behind them, in which he recognised the dead witches from the Halliwell line. The hooded figure started to glow and the next moment it raised both hands and the whole house started to shake. A large beam fell on Paige's head knocking her out. The ghosts disappeared and then the house collapsed in one massive explosion. The hooded figure hovered above the ruins for a moment and then disappeared in a swirl of blue lights. The whitelighter gasped and the image was replaced by another vision. He saw himself dressed in the Elder's robe, sitting among the remains of the house, his hands clasped around a lifeless body of a woman. The moon came out from behind the cloud and he could see her face. This time Leo could not take it. He twitched and pulled his hand out of Nicole's grasp. He buried his face in his hands. "Oh, no, not her, not Piper," he sobbed.  
  
"I am sorry you had to see this Leo," Nicole voice sounded sympathetically.  
  
"Who the hell was it?" the whitelighter lifted his head. "Who is this demon who is going to kill her?"  
  
For a second Nicole paused, not wanting to deliver the final blow. Then she reminded herself what was at stake here, she gathered her strength and said quietly, "It will be your son, Leo. The one who'll be born in less than three months." 


	3. Chapter 3

Dear all, here is the next chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it and as usual please let me know what you think. Really appreciate your reviews. Helps me to keep writing.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"You're lying!" Leo yelled and jumped on the woman who stood in front of him. Cole, who had half expected such reaction, stepped forward shielding Nicole from the angry whitelighter. The latter tried to punch him again and the half demon had nothing left but to grab him by the shoulders.  
  
"She's not lying," Cole stated in a calm tone. "The imbalance of powers in the magic world would cause your son to turn evil. You know better than anybody that your son is going to be extremely powerful. It's always dangerous. And in the chaos, which is going to break in the magic world in the next few years it would be very easy for him to slip."  
  
"I don't believe you," Leo yelled trying to free himself from Cole's grip. "It's you, you who'll turn him evil."  
  
Cole let go of the whitelighter and had to gather all his self control to stop himself from sending Leo flying across the room. Nicole decided that it was time to interfere. "Leo, it's no ones fault. You and Piper can be great parents, me and Cole can disappear from the face of the Earth, but your son will still be evil. But it does not have to be like that. We have time to prevent this from happening. To restore the balance of forces. If the good and the evil conclude an armistice then your son will grow up in a completely different environment and his powers will be in equilibrium. But in order for this to happen, you need to help us and help us now, when it's not too late."  
  
The whitelighter just looked at her with wild eyes. Then he sank into his chair wishing that all of this would be just a horrible nightmare and he would wake up in his bed with Piper breathing next to him. He sat for a few minutes hoping against hope that he would be awakened any minute. But deep in his heart he knew it was not a nightmare, it was a horrible, cruel reality.  
  
Cole and Nicole stayed quiet giving him an opportunity to collect his thoughts. A long time passed before Leo looked at them again. This man and this woman had just destroyed his dreams. They showed him his future or better said that he had no future. And now he had to decide if he was going to trust them and help them in the hope that it would change his own future. He did not know what they would ask him to do, but he was convinced that if he said "yes" to this strange couple, there would be no way back and his life would change forever. He searched there faces trying to penetrate their thoughts, to see the proof that they were telling the truth.  
  
They stood next to each other, he slightly in front as if ready to shield her from anything coming her way. Her eyes showed compassion and at the same time determination and Leo knew that she was totally committed to her mission and nothing would stop her from achieving this goal. The whitelighter turned his gaze on his ex brother-in-law. He used to fight next to this man, used to sit around one table with him. He healed him and helped to kill him, he hated him and relied on him, but he never accepted him and never trusted him completely. Now in a strange clarity of the mind, Leo realized that he always feared the inner strength Cole Turner possessed and always envied his ability to make decisions and stick to them to the end. This moment Leo knew they were telling the truth. Cole Turner could be a heartless demon, he could kill without a moment of regret but he was never going to get as low as to use such twisted emotional torture.  
  
Leo took a deep breath and got up facing both Cole and Nicole, "What do I have to do?"  
  
When they got back to the Penthouse Nicole plopped on the sofa leaning back on the comfortable cushions. She felt exhausted and could still see Leo's pale, strained face in front of her. She felt a warm hand touching her shoulder and opened her eyes. Cole was standing in front of her holding a glass of martini which he handed to her and then sat on the coach. She smiled and snuggled to him.  
  
"It was rough," she whispered.  
  
He nodded and kissed her hair pulling her closer.  
  
"I never thought receiving and projecting premonitions could be that tiring," she said slowly, enjoying the warmth of his body, "with you it never takes so much energy.  
  
He smiled, "It's probably the whole Chosen Two thing," he murmured. "Makes life a lot easier."  
  
She did not answer her thoughts drifting back to their meeting with Leo. Nicole did not particular like the whitelighter. His hatred to Cole was so blinding and for her it was completely incompatible with his role of the guardian angel. It also meant that they were forever on opposite sides. But this did not stop her from feeling sorry for him today.  
  
"I felt really sorry for Leo today," she repeated aloud. "No man deserves to watch his son destroying his family."  
  
He nodded silently, his eyes focusing on some far away point that only he could see. "At least Leo has a chance to prevent it from happening," he whispered quietly, "to save his family and his son. It's more than most people get."  
  
She felt the hidden pain in his words and turned around to face him. His gaze was distant but his hand tightened around her waist.  
  
"It was not your fault, Cole," she said quietly, "you did everything you could."  
  
His lips twisted into a sad smile, "Did I?" he asked thoughtfully.  
  
"Yes, you did," she touched his face forcing him to look at her. "It was not your fault that things turned the way they did. You risked your life trying to protect your family. You fought the Source all on your own and you prevented him from harming the Charmed Ones. I doubt that anybody else would be able to achieve what you did."  
  
He smiled at her, his eyes lightening up. "It all was absolutely worth it," he whispered looking at her intensely, "otherwise I would never have ended up in the Wasteland and would never have met you." Their lips were just a millimetre apart, and her hands wrapped around his neck. "And I would not have it for the world," he finished pulling her closer.  
  
Green eyes smiled at him, "Neither would I," she murmured.  
  
The two of them were lost in a kiss and for now all magic troubles of the past, present and future were left behind giving space for the simple magic between a man and a woman.  
  
When Leo got home, he was relieved to find out that all three sisters were have already gone to bed and that Piper was asleep. She did not wake up when he carefully slipped under the sheet. He pulled her closer, enjoying feeling her warm body next to him. He wished the time would just stop and this night when him and Piper are safely together would not end. But it was not meant to be.  
  
From tomorrow morning his life would change. He would be playing a dangerous game of being a double agent, trying to find out, which whitelighters were the most likely to support the peace deal and who among the Elders were the most likely to vote against the ceasefire. And when he identified the most aggressive Elder, it would be up to Cole and Nicole to arrange the replacement of this Elder with Leo. And then the real work would begin. The whitelighter did not care how they would arrange it, he did not want to know. They said that the Elder would not die and that was enough. A voice at the back of his head told him, that even if they were lying about it or would not be able to keep their promise, it would not matter to him. This voice made Leo shiver and he pushed his thoughts out of his head. He had enough to worry about without it. He knew that if he made a mistake and was found out, nobody would be able to save him. Cole and Nicole promised him all the help and protection Lugels could give. But his own safety meant little to him, the only thing he cared for was to stop this premonition coming true. And if it cost him his life, well, let it be so. But he could not die before fulfilling his mission. He may not be able to witness his son being born. He might burn in hell forever for going against the Elders but if it kept Piper and his son safe from harm and evil then it all was worth it.  
  
Two days later Cole and Nicole just got home when his mother shimmered in. "We need to talk," she said categorically.  
  
The young Lugels exchanged questioning looks and he nodded, "Sure, what is it?"  
  
The demoness gave him a disapproving look, "Not here," she said curtly, "We'll go to my apartment." She waved her hand and three long black robes appeared in front of them. "Put those on," Elizabeth commanded, "no need for anybody to see us and this will give you a chance to be yourself," she turned to Nicole. "I hated how my dress looked on you when you shape shifted."  
  
Nicole gave the older woman an annoyed look but decided to leave her comment unanswered. She put on the robe, covered her face with a hood and the three of them shimmered out. They reappeared in a massive cavern which was completely empty except for a wide arch in the middle of it.  
  
"Is it your place?" Nicole asked surprised turning to Elizabeth.  
  
The demoness gave the young woman a slightly puzzled look and then turned to Cole. "Belthazor, are you telling me that you have never taken your girlfriend to your Underworld apartment and generally to the living quarters?"  
  
The half demon shot Nicole apologetic look and turned to his mother. "It never came to it," he said uncomfortably shrugging his shoulders. "I have not been here myself for a very long time. So it never came up."  
  
His mother snorted and then turned to Nicole. "This is the entrance into the demonic living quarters of the Underworld. Nobody if they don't have demonic blood in them can go through this gate. It was created thousands of years ago in order to separate different fractions of the Underworld and prevent them from mixing. In the living quarter in-fighting is forbidden. It does happen but usually without the fatal results. Plus no warlock, darklighter or vampire can enter. So it's purely demonic."  
  
"So how do we get thought this gate?" Nicole asked acknowledging that she understood what Elizabeth told her.  
  
The demoness turned to the gate, "It's simple, you just have to step under the arch and it will take you to the other side." She followed her words with actions and the moment latter she disappeared out of sight.  
  
Nicole and Cole were left alone. "Why did not you tell me?" the young woman glared at the half demon. I felt like a complete fool."  
  
"Sorry," Cole said. "I did not think about it. I have not been there for the last three years since," he sighed, "since I have been sent by the Triad after the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Even when you were the Source?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I was worried that Phoebe would somehow find out and start asking questions."  
  
"You mean, you never even told Phoebe about it?" Nicole was even more surprised.  
  
Cole shook his head impatiently, "Of course, not. She was a witch. I know I betrayed the Underworld but I would never do that." He noticed Nicole's confused look and explained, "This is the place where demons are born and demonic babies are being nurtured. Phoebe and her sisters thought that the ice cream track was a good thing! I could not tell them about the living quarters. She would not be able to go in anyway since she was not a demon, but I did not want to risk."  
  
Nicole remembered the ice cream track and shivered. From Cole's memories she knew how he had troubles resisting the call of this music. They both stayed quiet for a few moments and then Nicole said, "We should probably go, your mother is waiting."  
  
He nodded and they both proceeded under the arch. They reappeared on the sunny beach, which had the same type of arch. Nicole could not hide her surprise. "Are we still in the Underworld?" she asked.  
  
"Of course," the half demon said.  
  
"But I thought," Nicole looked around. "I thought the Underworld was always dark and the sun was a benefit of the mortal realm."  
  
Cole smiled, "This is what demons like the world to believe. The caverns, flames and darkness are the business, ceremonial quarters of the Underworld. Like the City in the mortals realm. The living quarters are the part where schools, universities, shops are based." His smile grew wider and he said teasingly. "How do you think demons cope with the sun in the mortal realm? If we were never exposed to it, we would be completely blinded by its brightness, and I am not even talking about sunburns."  
  
The young woman shot him a mockery smile, "Of course, sunburns, would not want to spoil that sensitive skin of yours."  
  
Before he could retort she continued, "We should go anyway, your mother does not strike me as the patient type."  
  
"You have no idea how right you are," he confirmed and they both shimmered out.  
  
They found themselves in a luxurious apartment. Elizabeth was already waiting for them. She did not say anything, but the look she gave them was more explicit than the words. Elizabeth Turner did not like to wait.  
  
"So what do you want to talk about?" Cole sat in the chair opposite his mother.  
  
"I wanted to update you on my progress," she replied. "I have been very active for the past two weeks and with the help of my allies, I now completely understand the situation. We have a lot of support around the demonic circles so we are pretty much ready to proceed and within a month I can become the new Source."  
  
The Lugels exchanged surprised looks and Cole expressed the thoughts both of them had, "That's the great news mother. I have to say I am very impressed how fast you were able to pull it of."  
  
Elizabeth smiled at them triumphantly, "Well, I think the Underworld is more ready for a new leader than you thought," she said contently. Her smile quickly disappeared and she said in a serious voice. "There is, however, one condition to all of this going ahead."  
  
"What is it?" Cole asked curiously.  
  
"Your marriage to a powerful warlock." Elizabeth answered calmly.  
  
His face stiffened and Nicole paled, "I told you I am not doing that," Cole's voice was as hard as rock.  
  
"You don' have a choice," the demoness stated as sternly. "It's either that or a long bloody battle for the Source's throne with the uncertain outcome."  
  
"Well, then it will have to be the latter," he shot adamantly. "I am not marrying the warlock, end of discussion."  
  
"Why not?" Elizabeth waved her hand impatiently. "You told me yourself that you don't want to fall in love ever again. But you need an heir Belthazor. I thought you would appreciate the opportunity." Cole was about to object but his mother did not let him. "Listen to me, Belthzor, this is not just about you. If the Lugels want this peace to last we need this marriage. I told you that the Underworld is ready for the new leader but it is still to be decided who this leader will be. In recent years the demonic fraction has suffered the biggest blow. And a lot of it was your doing, Belthazor and your Charmed Ones destroyed the Triad, the Brotherhood of the Thorne and the Source's Council. Though the demons are generally more powerful than warlocks but now we are greatly outnumbered! The warlocks are much better than us in working together and building coalitions and they always do it through marriages and family ties. And we have to use the same tactic in order to win. If we don't get warlocks on our side it will take a long time and a lot of blood to get the throne and after that it would take even more blood to keep it."  
  
Nicole was ready to throw up. She felt as if the wound, which just started to heal, had been opened again and this time the knife kept twisting inside her. She had to use all her will power to hold back a cry. Now when her and Cole were so happy together, when they fought through all the fears and pain, he became the centre point of her life. His marriage, even if it was arranged and not based on love, would destroy her.  
  
Nicole had learnt a lot about demonic marriages. Based on convenience they were usually arranged in order to move up the demonic hierarchy and produce a suitable offspring. Everything was done by mutual agreement and both sides stuck to the deal. During the first phase of marriage when the couple was trying to conceive infidelity was not tolerated. And demonic justice was swift and ruthless. Then the couple usually moved on in their own directions. Nicole knew Cole well enough to understand that he would always be loyal to the mother of his child. Even if with time he regained a relative freedom to seek love outside his marriage, it would be too late for them, too late for her.  
  
What she also knew was that Elizabeth was right, the marriage between the son of the Source and the warlock from a powerful clan would stabilize the Underworld, prevent the bloodshed and as a Chosen Two they sworn to do everything possible to achieve that goal.  
  
The young woman lifted her eyes to look at Cole and immediately regretted it. She could see in his eyes that he had the same thoughts. The marriage was a necessary step to fulfil their destiny as the Chosen Two and Cole knew it. They have signed up to this deal and had to see it through no matter what it cost them.  
  
The only thought torn his heart apart. Finally he was happy, what was more important he knew that Nicole was happy with him. And he knew that his marriage would destroy her. His mind was desperately searching for the way out but he knew enough about the Underworld politics and rules to understand that there was no alternative.  
  
Elizabeth observed the two of them, her eyes particularly concentrating on Nicole and smiled. Now she was satisfied.  
  
The half demon turned away from Nicole. He could not bear to see her face while doing what he was about to do. "So whom do you want me to marry?"  
  
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment, "I think that the best candidate is here," she pointed at Nicole.  
  
The silence, which followed her words, was so complete that if the demoness did not know better she would have thought she'd gone deaf.  
  
"This is not time for jokes, Mother," Cole's voice was so full of fury that Elizabeth inwardly shuddered.  
  
"I am not joking, Belthazor," she answered calmly.  
  
"But I am not a warlock." Nicole, who finally found her tongue, exclaimed.  
  
"But who needs to know this?" the demoness smiled mischievously. "Look, I don't want you to marry some powerful warlock woman. What good will this do? She will bring your children, who will have your powers, faithful to some warlock's coven? Or even worth make them doubt where their loyalties lie? That could bring nothing but troubles. But if she," Elizabeth pointed at Nicole, "becomes a member of the powerful warlock coven, this can help us. She would be able to steer them in the directions which are convenient for us. She'll be an insider and will be able to spot the troubles and let us know."  
  
"We have just one problem," Cole remarked sarcastically, "Nicole is not a warlock."  
  
"And you think that even for their great mission the Lugels won't be able to introduce her as one to the warlocks? I know about Lugels, they have all the powers in the world. Don't tell me that they can't make Nicole blink."  
  
The feeling of sickness in Nicole's stomach was replaced by a spinning head. She looked at Cole and found him already staring at her. His eyes were a mixture of emotions and she thought were probably a mirror image of her own. But this was a chance and she was going to use it.  
  
"We will need to discuss it with the Lugels," she said.  
  
"By all means," Elizabeth nodded. "But do it fast because we need to move fast."  
  
The two young Lugels nodded and shimmered out. 


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews. Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
When Cole and Nicole reappeared in the Penthouse they fell into an awkward silence. Nicole felt incredibly nervous and even if her life depended on it she would not have been able to utter a single word. So she mumbled something about her shoes being too tight and went to the bedroom leaving Cole alone in the living room. He watched her back with an amused smile and then shook his head and headed to the drinks cabinet. After pouring himself some scotch he sat in the chair his mind going over their visit to his mother. It was indeed an eventful evening. A life changing one. After his divorce he had never seriously contemplated the possibility of getting married again. But now when it was becoming more of a reality he felt surprisingly calm. It felt right.  
  
A thudding noise of something falling interrupted his thoughts. He then heard Nicole quiet cursing in the bedroom. It made him smile. This woman had changed his life. Somehow she managed to brighten it up. He felt calm and relaxed around her. For the first time in his life he did not need to pretend or think of what to say. He did not need to hide his dark side, he did not need to suppress his sarcastic sense of humour. She was his equal and could perfectly hold her own against him. She was independent and did not let him control her life completely but at the same time she did not hide that he was the centre of her life, the most important person for her. And for him it was important. Surprisingly they had a lot in common. And with all the differences in their past he felt that they were right for each other. He was almost a century older and compared to him she was a complete innocent. But at the same time, he knew that Nicole could be as ruthless as he was when it came to protecting something or somebody dear to her heart. And the most important she was loyal to him. He remembered the day when she found out about his demonic past and instead of running for her life away from him she became his friend. That day he swore that he would not let anybody take her away from him. It was more than a month ago, many things happened since then. He came close to losing her several times. And just a few hours ago he was ready to face a life without her. Cole shivered and quickly pushed away these memories. Now that he'd been given a chance to marry her, he would not let anything or anybody come between them. She belonged to him and he'd never let her go.  
  
He finished his drink and looked at the bedroom door, which still remained closed. Was she ever going to come out of there? Just as he was about to get up to check up on her, she reappeared in the living room. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top, she was carefully avoiding looking at him. Cole sighed. It was obviously up to him to start the conversation.  
  
"I am glad you decided to come out," he said smiling, "I was getting worried."  
  
Nicole gave him a filthy look and immediately started very meticulous observations of the wall just above his shoulder. "I wanted to change into something more comfortable," she mumbled heading to the kitchen.  
  
"I see," he drawled raising his eyebrows in mild amusement. "And now you are going to avoid me all night?" The moment he said it, Cole was ready to bite his tongue: Nicole glared at him so fiercely. But the next moment she already switched her attentions to the beautiful sunset. "I am not avoiding you," she muttered, her face becoming slightly pink.  
  
"Great," he replied cheerfully. "Because I think we should talk. It was kind of an eventful evening.  
  
Nicole nodded looking half confused, half embarrassed. "Putting it mildly," she managed to murmur.  
  
"So what do you think about the idea?" he asked.  
  
Green eyes flashed brightly and Nicole's face turned even redder. She stared at her feet, "You can't ask me this Cole," she finally said. "I know we live in the 21st century and everything, but there are still questions that no woman will answer first. And the fact that I am even telling you this is already bad enough so I am going to shut up and leave the talking to you."  
  
Cole's eyebrows shot up and he just stared at her. She could not help but smile at his surprised expression. "Oh, God," she sighed. "All men are the same, demonic or not."  
  
"Hey," he exclaimed, "I take offence to that."  
  
They both laughed and it has eased the tension a bit. They quickly sobered up and stared at each other. Nicole cleared her throat, "Come on, Cole," she asked almost pleadingly. "It's your turn to say what you think about this idea."  
  
He stared at her, his brain, which was so full of thoughts just a minute ago, suddenly going surprisingly empty. "Well, I think that though it was kind of unexpected I feel surprising calm about the whole thing," he said honestly. "And I hope that you feel the same way and the idea of us getting married makes you at least a little bit happy."  
  
Nicole was touched by his words, but at the same time part of her wanted to hear something else.  
  
He eyed her warily and suggested quietly, "You know, it would be good if you said something, right about now."  
  
"Sorry," she apologized and forced herself to look at him. "I... Don't understand me wrong. I am happy... It's just whenever I thought about getting married I always expected that it would be because me and this special person decided to spend the rest of our lives together. Not because it would help the unification of two fractions in the Underworld. And I know it's sounds ridiculous, but you have to understand, women are very different from men. For you, guys, marriage is something you do at some point of your life, just like you choose a career. We dream about it probably from the moment we can say the word "wedding". I just always imagined it very different." She paused and looked at him worriedly, hoping that he would not get insulted and would understand what she was trying to explain.  
  
He stared at her for a few moments, his face completely unreadable and then in a swift motion he closed the space between them. His finger touched her chin lifting it so that she looked straight into his eyes. "Would it make you feel better if I said that being with you is the best thing that ever happened to me? And that there is no other creature in the Universe whom I would like to see as my wife? Marrying you is the greatest gift the Gods could give me." He paused, gently brushing away the tears from her cheeks. "We both been hurt in the past," he continued, his voice lower than usual, "and now we have a chance to start afresh, to start a new life based on mutual respect, trust, care and deep attraction. And I would be deeply honoured if you agree to marry me."  
  
His words just escaped his mouth when Nicole hugged him tightly and then abruptly pulled away, so he could see her eyes when she whispered, "You know, I will, Cole. With all my heart. Marrying you is my biggest dream coming true."  
  
Cole and Nicole stood on the porch of Celina's house. Luckily the French woman was home. She greeted them with a warm smile and led them into the comfortable living room.  
  
"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked. "I have coffee, tea, scotch or baileys?" she smiled at Nicole  
  
"Baileys will be great," Nicole said, "a great combination of coffee and alcohol."  
  
Cole chose Scotch and soon they were both seated with their drinks.  
  
"So what brings you here?" Celina asked.  
  
The two young Lugels exchanged looks and Cole decided to start, "The news is that my mother agreed to become the new Source and so far she's been very successful and according to her own estimates if things go right she can be crowned as a new Source in about a month. But she also is convinced that in order to achieve our goal without too much bloodshed it would be good to have the warlock covens on our side."  
  
"That's sounds like a very good idea," Celina remarked. "But how do you plan to do it?"  
  
Cole decided that there was not point going around it, "The high priest Corado suggested, and my Mother agrees with him, that it should be done by uniting a powerful warlock coven and the Source's inner circle in marriage."  
  
The French woman's face became thoughtful. "I think this makes sense," she finally said. "Knowing the warlocks' obsession with family ties this might make them support the new Source. But they would probably want the child to be named an heir to the throne. And this means..." she paused and looked at the half demon, "it means that it would be you who'd have to marry a warlock."  
  
Cole nodded, "My mother thinks that the best way will be for Nicole to be introduced into a powerful coven and this way we can get the warlocks on our side but without actually giving them the powers."  
  
With all the seriousness of the situation, Nicole admired the skill with which Cole avoided saying that it meant him and Nicole getting married. But Celina decided that it was better to call things by their own name.  
  
"So she suggests that you marry Nicole?" she asked lifting her eyebrow.  
  
"Yes," they said together.  
  
Celina's expression was unreadable, she sat in her chair staring somewhere far away. Nicole uncomfortable by her silence spoke up, "But the problem is that I am not a warlock."  
  
The French woman waived her hand dismissively. "This is not a problem. We can introduce you into any coven tomorrow if necessary." She returned her gaze to the visitors. "I think that this is a good way of doing it. And I can see all the benefits. I am just worried how are you taking this? I know that you both are committed to your task but this is a very personal thing. So I hope that you are comfortable with this decision."  
  
"Comfortable," Nicole swore under her breath. "What a horrible word to use describing the marriage." She smiled at Celina and said in her most calm voice. "I think both me and Cole look at this situation practically. And as you said it makes a lot of sense."  
  
The half demon nodded in agreement and the French woman had to hide a smile. She was impressed by ability of both Cole and Nicole to lie. If she did not know better she would have thought that both of them looked at the situation only from the practical side.  
  
"Well, that's settled then," she said. "I will inform the rest of the Council about this development. We are definitely moving on in the right direction."  
  
"What about the warlock covens?" Cole asked concerned.  
  
"As I said it would not be a problem," the French woman smiled, "before I became a Lugel I was a warlock myself from a very powerful des Noures coven. As you know they are in the same league as Karenian coven. And actually about thirty years ago one affair took place, which will make out task much easier."  
  
Young Lugels frowned, "What affair was it?" Nicole asked curiously.  
  
Celina smiled, "It was a real Shakespeare style love story. The sister of Henry Karenian fell in love with the current head of the French coven, Phillip des Noures. Two covens were at war for centuries and Elisa Karenian was supposed to strip the powers from Phillip but instead she married him. The former head of Karenian coven, Derek Karenian swore that he would kill her for betrayal, Phillip retorted that he anyway wanted his in-laws dead and now he had one more reason. But before any of these threats were carried out Elisa disappeared. Nobody could find her. Each of the covens blamed the other and the conflict threatened to spill on other warlock's covens. It went so far that the Source himself interfered. He was fighting the vampires at the time and needed warlocks united on his side. So he made a powerful telepath read the minds of the leaders of the warlock's coven. He found out that none of them was responsible for her disappearance. This prevented the bloodshed but did not bring Elisa back."  
  
She paused and Nicole asked, "So what happened to her?"  
  
Celina smiled, "She stripped her powers. She could not stand the pressure of being the cause of the feud, which threatened to destroy everybody she loved. So she decided to remove herself from the picture hoping that this would stop the warfare before both covens destroyed each other. And the only way to disappear was to strip her powers, which she did."  
  
"So where is she now?" Cole asked.  
  
"She died last year," the French woman replied curtly. "And this is to our advantage."  
  
"How?" Nicole starred at the older Lugel.  
  
Celina smiled mischievously and immediately changed into a woman with brown hair and striking green eyes. Looking at her it was obvious that her beauty knew better days but even now with grey hairs spoiling her luscious curls and wrinkles around her eyes she looked beautiful. "This is how Elisa Karenian looked when she died." Celina said.  
  
Young Lugels just stared at her.  
  
"Come on," she shifted back into her form, "what better candidate to become the mother of the Source's heir could be than the offspring of the two powerful warlock covens. And you," she turned to Nicole "look perfectly to be the daughter of Elisa Karenian and Phillip de Noures. You have her green eyes and his blond hair."  
  
Young Lugels exchanged looks. "Do you think they would buy the story?"  
  
"Of course," Celina smiled. "Phillip de Noures never forgot his wife and Henry Karenian never forgot his little sister. They would be over the moon that she had a daughter. And not just a daughter, but a future mother of the Source's heir. It's a chance to put the offspring of Karenian and de Noures covens on the Underworld throne. On the other hand Phillip did remarry and he has children, so does Henry Karenian. They would not want to have an in-fight over who gets to be the next head of their covens. And if their newly found daughter or niece marries the son of the Source, they would avoid all the problems and gain immense power."  
  
Phillip des Noures sat in his office looking through the contract he was about to sign. His personal mobile phone went of.  
  
"Yes," he answered coolly.  
  
"Father, it's me, James," he heard the voice of his son. "I found out something really interesting. Can you meet me now at 1356 Home St in San Francisco?"  
  
"Why so urgently?" Phillip scowled.  
  
"It's important, Father, we need to act quickly. I'll see you there." James hung up.  
  
The older warlock frowned. What could be so urgent?! He got up and blinked away. He reappeared in front of the house and knocked. The door was opened by a tall young man who looked like a young copy of himself.  
  
"What the rush?" Phillip asked briskly walking into the house.  
  
"Trust me, when you see what I found out you'll be happy you had hurried up," James smiled and led his father into the house. After the blazing sunshine of the street the living room looked dark and for a few seconds the older warlock could not see anything. When his eyes got accustomed he saw a woman lying on the bed in the corner of the room and a man sitting on the chair holding her hand. The man was Henry Karenian and the French warlock had never seen his enemy looking so pale. Phillip looked at the woman and his heart skipped a bit. Her sickly but still very beautiful face lit up with a smile.  
  
"Phillip," she said in a quiet voice, "I thought I would never see you again."  
  
The French warlock shook his head and reached with his suddenly shaky hand to loosen his tie. He turned around to look at his son, but instead of James he saw a blond young woman with emerald green eyes.  
  
"This is your daughter, Phillip," he heard the voice behind him. "Our daughter."  
  
An hour later Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures were both sitting next to the bed, each holding the woman's hand. The two of them looked like grieving brothers not sworn enemies.  
  
"Why did not you tell me when you found out?" Phillip asked his face distorted with pain. "Why, Elisa?"  
  
"I could not," the woman said her eyes sparkling with tears. "I stripped my powers. Derek already promised to kill me for betrayal. Without my powers I could not protect the baby. And when Nicole was born I did not want my daughter to be a pawn between two covens. I wanted a normal life for her, safe life. So she could fall in love and not pay for it the way I did. I gave her up for adoption."  
  
Elisa stretched her hand towards the young woman who was standing at the foot of the bed. "This is Nicole Berg, my daughter. The offspring of two great covens." She looked at Nicole with pride. "I found her 2 years ago. I unbound her powers with the help of a dark priest and trained her. And now I want her to resume the place she deserves." She smiled at both men. "She has the powers from both of you. She is truly the daughter and the niece of two most powerful warlocks."  
  
Elisa's breath became more shallow and Nicole rushed to her, "Mother, you need to rest," she said. The older woman shook her head determinedly and propped herself on the pillows. "I want you both to promise me," she seared the two warlocks with a glare, "to swear on my death bed that you would stop fighting and protect and care for your daughter and niece."  
  
"You are not going to die, Lizzy," Henry Karenian exclaimed. "We can save you."  
  
"Nothing can save me, Henry" Elisa said bitterly. "I am a human now. I am fifty four and I will not see another sunrise. But I don't want my daughter to go through the same. And you two will give me your word that you will protect Nicole des Noures-Karenian with your lives and if you break your oath I promise you, you'd be cursed forever." She collapsed on the pillow. "When she was born I took her to one of the mortal prophets, the real one, blessed by the Gods. He told me that the birth of my daughter was prophesized. That she would unite her kind. And she would marry into a royal family and one day her child would lead the world of evil to the greatest glory." Elisa closed her eyes completely exhausted, her breathing becoming even shallower. Both warlocks rushed to her, but she just motioned them to lean closer to her and whispered, "I killed the prophet so he would not tell anyone. Before I heard about the prophecy I wanted to strip her powers but I changed my mind and just bounded them. Now I've trained her and she is ready for her destiny. I want her to be the one who will forever stop the internal wars among warlocks. That no one would have to repeat my life. She will be the one who will immortalize our covens through centuries. And you two would do whatever is necessary to help her or I will haunt you from beyond my grave for the rest of your miserable lives." 


	5. Chapter 5

Many thanks for your reviews. Here is the next chapter.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Celina was the last to arrive to another emergency meeting of the Lugel's Council. Her beautiful face expressed extreme annoyance. And her mood did not improve when she heard Dorian's remark.  
  
"You are late."  
  
Her frustration spilled out, "Oh, excuse me," she exclaimed, "I was in the middle of the performance of a dying woman, trying to complete a crucial step on fulfilling the Prophecy. And if my memory is correct we spent our last emergency meeting talking about how important it was."  
  
She sounded very annoyed and Dorian preferred not to start an argument with her. Instead he asked in the most polite tone, "So how did it go?"  
  
"It went well," the French Lugel explained curtly. "They totally bought the whole thing. And the presence of the doctor who confirmed Elisa's death prevented them from saying too much."  
  
"Doctor?" Radgiv raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Yes," Celina smiled triumphantly. "It was Cole's idea. He was worried that something might go wrong so he decided to come as well and play the part of the doctor, obviously in a different form."  
  
"So what will happen next?" Angela asked.  
  
Celina shrugged, "I think there shouldn't be too many problems. Elizabeth will meet with the warlocks and offer them the union. In my opinion they will pick Nicole even without any intervention from our side. If by some mysterious reason they would have any doubts we can always use a bit of telepathic persuasion to push them to this decision. And when that's settled we'll be half way through our prophecy."  
  
Thoughtful silences followed her words and then Carlos expressed his concerns. "This is just way too easy. I just can't see it going smoothly."  
  
Celina heaved an impatient sigh, "Of course, you don't," she said sarcastically, "but let me tell you, when you plan well, things do go smoothly. And if something goes wrong, we'll deal with it. But I don't see the point of sitting here and worrying now about something that has not happened yet, especially when we don't even know if it ever will."  
  
Carlos was about to retort, when Vladimir interrupted him, "What worries me," he said thoughtful, "is why Elizabeth even came up with this idea?"  
  
"What do you mean, why?" Sylvester asked surprised, "She needs a union with the warlocks to get the throne. And the marriage is the obvious way to get it."  
  
"Yes, the marriage to a real warlock," Vladimir objected, "but why did not she suggest just that? Why does she want Nicole to marry Cole? It does not make any sense."  
  
"May be she wants him to be happy?" O-Li asked.  
  
But Vladimir just shook his head and Carlos snorted, "Of course, she does!" the latter exclaimed, "She is a full blooded demon, she does not know what happiness is."  
  
Celina gave Carlos a contemptuous look and Vladimir said, "No, it's not that. I spent a lot of time studying Elizabeth's past when we first thought about her becoming the new Source. She never even acknowledged any of Belthazor's girlfriends. And he came close to marriage several times in his career. One of the candidates was Raynor's daughter. But she always destroyed any chances for such marriage. And now she's actively pushing for it. And it makes me think that she might know something."  
  
The Lugel's Council buzzed with the shocked voices. "It cannot be true," Dorian summarized the common idea. "She cannot know about the Prophecy. It is absolutely impossible. Only Lugels are able to read it."  
  
"I am not saying she knows everything," Vladimir stated calmly, "but she might know bits of it. She's related to the demons from Signa plain. And they are famous for their prophets. There is a chance they were able to see something about Belthazor's future and that's why Elizabeth is pushing Cole and Nicole together."  
  
Celina shook her head, "You might be right, but we can't do anything about it."  
  
"We can scan her mind," Radgiv suggested. "Then we'll know for sure."  
  
"And risk turning her against us?" Celina objected. "Only the Chosen Two can read the mind of such a powerful demon without any risk of being spotted. Plus it only helps us that Elizabeth wants Cole and Nicole to marry. Without her, God knows, how long it would have taken them."  
  
"So you suggest we just go along?" Dorian asked.  
  
Celina shot a look at Vladimir and the latter replied, "I think for now it's the best thing to do. We'll keep an eye on her. But I am convinced that Elizabeth will not do anything to harm her son."  
  
Carlos shook his head, "May be, that's true, but I fully believe her capable to harm Nicole."  
  
"Oh, no, not any more," Celina smiled, "she knows by now that harming Nicole will mean harming Cole and losing him forever. And she'll never do that. She is the mother."  
  
Carlos gave her a sceptical look but did not say anything.  
  
"Well, that's settled, then," Dorian summarized. "We should all proceed with out tasks and hope for the best."  
  
Elizabeth was sitting around the negotiating table. On her left sat high priest Corado, on her right Henry Karenian and opposite was Phillip Des Noures. The negotiations were already going on for an hour and had not really moved anywhere. The first half hour was devoted to discussing the situation in the Underworld, which was actually very constructive. Both parties agreed that the evil needed a new leader and the sooner this leader was crowned the better. But the next thirty minutes were spent on throwing ambiguous hints and the parties did not move any closer to the main point of the discussion. It was frustrating but the demoness knew that this part was the necessary "evil". It made both parties aware that the meeting was important and that the other party knew what they were talking about. But now it was time to cut to the chase. Elizabeth took a deep breath and fixed both warlocks with a calm stare,  
  
"Since we all agree here that the Underworld needs a new leader the question is who this leader will be. And before we start naming candidates I want to highlight that the new Source has to be able to unite all fractions, to stop in-fighting and help the Underworld regenerate its former strength."  
  
Both warlocks nodded eyeing the demoness wearily. They knew Belthora as a powerful, sneaky and very smart demon and this knowledge made them respect her and distrust her at the same time.  
  
Elizabeth acknowledged their agreement and continued, "Therefore we need a candidate who will be respected and accepted by all fractions. And it would help a lot if the demonic fraction and warlock covens could support one candidate."  
  
The warlock's eyes narrowed, but Elizabeth pretended that she did not notice. It was time to put her offer on the table. "You know that in the history of the Underworld there was never a warlock Source."  
  
"As there was no female Source," Karenian piped in.  
  
"True," Elizabeth smiled coolly, "but it's also true that demons are much more likely to accept a female Source than a warlock Source."  
  
The French warlock smiled evilly, "But the demons are no longer the strongest fraction," he remarked.  
  
"I am afraid I have to disagree with you on that one," priest Corado objected. "They might not be the largest fraction but I think it is safe to say that they are the most powerful."  
  
Des Noures just shrugged indicating that he had his own opinion on the matter.  
  
The demoness shifted her gaze from one warlock to another, "We can argue about who is the strongest for a long time. But I think it is safe to say that if there was ever a power struggle between demons and warlocks it would be a very long and bloody battle. And neither fraction would benefit from it especially considering that there are other fractions, which now are too weak to contend against demons and warlocks. The battle would weaken the main fractions and give the smaller ones the chance they've been looking for so long to rise in rank. And I think I am safe to say that neither of us cherishes such an opportunity."  
  
"So what do you suggest?" des Noures asked slightly ironically, expecting Elizabeth to suggest that she or her son Belthazor should become the next Source.  
  
"I suggest we strike a deal," the demoness replied calmly but her eyes dared the warlocks to laugh at her.  
  
"And which deal will that be?" Karenian asked insinuatingly. "That we will support a demonic candidate?"  
  
"Yes," Elizabeth answered looking at him sternly. The warlock was about to make a sarcastic retort but the demoness bit him to it. "I suggest that you support me and in return for your support you will have a guarantee that the next Source would be half warlock."  
  
Her words had an effect of the explosion. Des Noures paled and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I mean that if you support me as the new Source than my son Belthazor would marry a warlock from one of your covens and their son would be an heir to the throne."  
  
No self restrain could prevent the exchange of shocked glances between the two warlocks. Karenian was the first to regain some control over his tongue. "And Belthazor is fine with this?" he asked trying to win some time while he could organise his thoughts. "I thought he was married to a witch?"  
  
"This is long over," Elizabeth replied coldly her black eyes daring the warlocks to doubt her word. "Belthazor is working hard on restoring the order in the Underworld and he agrees that this marriage if done on proper conditions could unite the Underworld."  
  
"Why does not Belthazor become the Source himself," des Noures asked warily. "At the end of the day, he already was one and he would be an obvious candidate."  
  
The priest Corado spoke up in his usual soft voice, "We believe that the older and wiser candidate would be more suitable at the moment. The demons represent a united front here and Belthazor supports our decision."  
  
"But if you are going to become the Source now, than Belthazor would inherit the throne from you and only after that it would be the time of his half warlock son - it is almost the same as never. Why would we want to wait so long?" Karenian asked.  
  
"Belthazor would not be the Source," Corado answered, "He would abdicate in favour of his son."  
  
Two warlocks exchanged meaningful looks. "We need time to think about it," des Noures finally said. "You are asking a lot of us. Why should we wait for something for so long when we can get it now?"  
  
"I completely understand that you need time to think," Elizabeth answered, "And I am sure that you won't take too long. With regard to your last comment, I doubt that it would be easy for you to get the throne now, considering you don't even have the Grimour."  
  
"Neither do you," Karenian shot up.  
  
The demoness did not say anything but just smiled. And her smile was worth a thousand words.  
  
When the warlocks disappeared from the meeting room, high priest Corado turned to Elizabeth, "Do you think they would go for it?" he asked.  
  
"We have to wait and see," the demoness replied smiling mysteriously, "but I think there is a very good chance, they will."  
  
Corado gave her a penetrating glance but she did not add anything. "Well, then you better make sure you have the Grimour," he muttered and with a light bow he disappeared.  
  
Elizabeth made sure that she was alone and then turned around, "Belthazor," she called quietly.  
  
Two figures dressed in black hooded robes separated from the walls. Cole pushed his hood away from his face but his companion kept hers on.  
  
"So what do you think?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
The half demon shrugged, "I think they will accept your offer." His companion lifted her hand and mother and son fell quiet. The three of them exchanged glances and shimmered out. When they rematerialized in the Elizabeth' apartment, Nicole pushed the hood away from her face.  
  
"I think it's safer to talk here," she explained her earlier warning. "I could not sense anything, but better be safe than sorry. I don't want "uncle" Henry and my "Dad" to suspect that we are manipulating them."  
  
Elizabeth nodded, "How does it go with them?" she asked.  
  
Nicole shrugged her shoulders, "Tiring," she said finally. "They constantly ask me questions about Elisa. No, they totally believe that I am their niece and daughter respectively," she foresaw Elizabeth's question. "But both of them still love Elisa so much that they want to know her every day for the past two years. You should have seen both of them when she died. I never thought warlocks were capable of crying like that. They kept asking me to stay with them. I had to fight really hard against it. Told them that I don't want to fight with my cousins and half brothers."  
  
"Do you think that they will still pick you to marry Belthazor," Elizabeth asked.  
  
Nicole shot Cole a questioning look. "I think so," he answered, "I was keeping an eye on their thoughts and both of them immediately thought about the "prophecy" that Elisa told them. And none of them would go against her will."  
  
"You think so?" Elizabeth asked doubtfully.  
  
Cole smiled sarcastically, "Come on, mother, they are both so sentimental about her, that I can't believe that these are two powerful warlocks and not two housewives. And if you had heard what "Elisa" told them, I bet you would not break her last will either. Even I believed her and I knew perfectly well that it was just a performance." He noticed a smirk on Nicole's face and smiled himself, "Fine," Cole sighed, "a very talented performance."  
  
"Okay," Elizabeth nodded indicating that she was satisfied with their answers. "I trust you would keep an eye on the situation and if necessary take steps to correct it?"  
  
"Absolutely," Nicole confirmed, "I also think we should be going. Never know when my new found relatives would want to discuss the situation with me."  
  
"Before you go," Elizabeth stopped the young Lugels from leaving. "We need the Grimour. Are you getting anywhere with it?"  
  
Cole sighed, "Not as far as I would have liked to. But we'll get on the case, promise."  
  
With these words they shimmered away. They reappeared in the Penthouse and looked at each other. Both were tired. Since the eventful night of Elisa's death they did not have much free time. Juggling work, new found relatives, Lugels, keeping an eye on the developments in the Underworld and the Elders realm meant that they worked sometimes for eighteen hours a day. And during these eighteen hours they could not relax for a single second. Nicole suffered most because during her meeting with her new warlock relatives she had to constantly be alert in order not to blow her cover. The presence of Cole helped her immensely. From the first moment he insisted on being close to her during these meetings and she was very grateful to him. Though she could not see him and he could not substitute her, she could always feel his presence and it gave her strength.  
  
Cole pulled Nicole into a hug. She snuggled to him feeling the strength of his body and just forgetting the whole world around her. "Do we have to go anywhere else today?" she asked quietly.  
  
He hesitated for a moment, part of him really wanting to spend the rest of the evening just with the two of them and not deal with the whole magic crap. Nicole lifted her head and stared into his eyes, an understanding but slightly disappointed smile touching her lips. "I guess the answer is yes," she muttered and pulled away. "So what is it?"  
  
"I think we should go and speak to Leo. Find out where he hid the Grimour," he answered apologetically. "I have a feeling that we will need it soon and I would like to have some time to retrieve it."  
  
Nicole grimaced as if she'd just eaten a raw lemon, "Fine," she said, "We'll go and see our whitelighter friend." Her mouth twisted into the wry smile, "Make his day! Do you think he is going to open a bottle of champagne to welcome us?"  
  
"More likely he'll try to punch me again," Cole remarked sarcastically.  
  
They blurred away and reappeared in front of the Halliwell's manor. All the windows were dark and they quickly found out that nobody was home.  
  
"Where now?" Nicole asked.  
  
"Probably P3," he answered, "If he is not there, we can try the Elders realm."  
  
"Oh, no", Nicole protested, "We'll try P3, but I am not going to the Elders realm, not now. If Leo is not in P3, we'll go home and try to find him tomorrow."  
  
Cole grinned at her, "That's the words of the wise Lugel."  
  
"Shut it, Turner," Nicole glared at him. "Or I'll start calling you Mr. Boring." She did not wait for him to answer and shimmered away.  
  
She reappeared in front of P3. Cole reappeared straight after her but even before he finished blurring his quiet hissing voice reached her ears, "You'll pay for that later." Nicole just looked at him innocently, but the half demon just strode into the club. It was packed as usual but Cole immediately noticed three sisters and their whitelighter sitting around the bar.  
  
"Just like three musketeers and their faithful servant," he thought to himself.  
  
Leo was enjoying the calm evening, well, as much as he managed to enjoy anything lately. He constantly felt on edge expecting any moment for the Elders to clip his wings or to blow him into million of pieces. Being a double agent was not much fun but he had no choice. Often his thoughts drifted to Nicole and especially Cole. These two ruined his life but had they also saved it?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by a tall couple approaching the bar. They ordered their drinks and stood just a few feet from him. They looked completely ordinary and nobody except Leo paid any attention to them. He turned away when a familiar female voice sounded in his head. "Hi Leo, we need to talk." The whitelighter jerked his head and stared at the couple incredulously. His eyes met with the black eyes of the man. The latter smiled wryly and for a split second his eyes changed into very familiar piercing blue. The next moment they returned to their previous colour. The couple picked up their drinks and headed to the back door.  
  
It took Leo a minute to compose himself. He touched Piper's elbow. "I've got to go, honey," he said. "I won't be long." Piper just nodded being busy with the customer and Leo made his way through the crowd towards the exit. The warm wind touched his face.  
  
"Hi Leo," he heard behind him. The whitelighter turned his head and saw Cole and Nicole standing in the shadow of the tree.  
  
"Hi," the whitelighter's face was far from expressing delight on seeing them. "What brings you here?"  
  
Anger flared in Cole. Leo's stubborn arrogance made him want to shake the noble whitelighter just to get some sense into his head. The half demon pushed these thoughts away. Anger was not going to help him with his task.  
  
"We need you to tell us where did you hide the Grimour?" Nicole replied calmly. Leo's face paled and she sighed frustrated by his negative reaction, "We need to know which volcano you chucked it into?"  
  
"How do you know about this?" Leo glared at them.  
  
"The same way we knew about where your charge lives," Nicole said wincing inside from the fury written on Leo's face.  
  
"And why exactly do you want to know where the Grimour is hidden?" Leo asked bitterly.  
  
"Why do you think?" Cole replied curtly.  
  
"You want to crown the new Source?" Leo exclaimed in outrage.  
  
"Bingo," the half demon gave Leo a wry smile.  
  
"Well, I am not helping you in that," the whitelighter raved. "I did not sign up to that."  
  
The frustration that Cole felt finally spilled out. "Then you better sign up to it now," he roared. "Because if you don't, there is no point for you to do anything else." Leo's face expressed complete shock and Cole heaved an impatient sigh. "For God's sake man, use your brain. You did not expect that we could negotiate a peace between the good and evil without having a new Source. Who do you think would keep the Underworld under control, your Elders?"  
  
Leo did not answer. Once again his thoughts were in complete disarray. Spying on the Elders was one thing but actively helping the reincarnation of the new Source of All Evil was a completely different matter.  
  
"Leo," Nicole's voice sounded calm and sympathetic. "Without the new Source the balance would not be restored. We told you once that it won't harm the Elders or your family. And we are not coming back on that. But you have to trust us and help us. Otherwise there is no point to continue."  
  
"How do you expect me to trust you?" Leo cried out. "After everything he's done to me and my family. He tried to kill us more than once and you want me to trust him?"  
  
Nicole's face turned pale with anger, "And you think you're better! You abandoned him when he was an innocent man. In your conceited self righteousness you don't even see that you committed a plain murder. I am surprised that he is even willing to talk to you after what you did destroying his chance to safe his marriage and his son. Now you are granted such a chance and you don't even see how lucky you are. All you do is moan and wallow in your self pity."  
  
The whitelighter was taken aback by her outburst. He looked at the half demon and saw the pain shooting through his eyes before his face turned blank.  
  
Nicole continued, "From now on Leo, you are either support us a hundred percent or we part the ways here. It's not working. It's going to get much tougher soon and if every time we have to have a two hours debate to convince you to help us, we just won't get anywhere."  
  
A small part of Leo was tempted to just tell this man and this woman that this was the end of their cooperation but he knew that he could not. He had to save Piper and his son whatever the cost. There was also a tiny voice deep down in his heart, which told him that if Nicole Berg was telling the truth him and the Charmed Ones had a lot to answer for and a lot to redeem.  
  
"I'll show you where the volcano is," he said quietly. "But I doubt that there is anything left from the Grimour. I chucked it straight into the crater. It was immediately consumed by the lava."  
  
Cole shook his head, "Magic so powerful as the Grimour does not burn, Leo. It was created in the pit of hell. And no volcano will destroy it. You just have to be powerful enough to retrieve it. And you know yourself that such powerful book can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. So the sooner it is returned to the Underworld, the safer it would be for all of us." 


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you very much for reviews. I know that the last chapter did not have a lot of action.  
  
It was more of a foundation for the next one. So here it comes. Let me know what you think.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Blue orbs lit up the darkness. The moment they disappeared the West Andes Mountains fell back into their lightless state broken only by the reflection of flames erupting from the craters. The whitelighter waited and a second later Cole and Nicole materialized next to him.  
  
"This is a grim place," Nicole commented dryly.  
  
"It will be light soon," Leo replied curtly. "We'll just have to wait a few minutes." He turned to Cole who was looking around with a slight frown on his face. "What's wrong? Have you been here before?"  
  
The half demon shook his head, "I don't think so, though it does look vaguely familiar." He took a step closer to Nicole, "I just have a weird feeling about this place."  
  
"That's not surprising," Leo remarked coldly, "after all the most powerful Book of Evil is lying just a few hundred yards away. If anyone, you will be able to sense it." The glare, which he received from Nicole made the whitelighter almost choke on his last words, "Sorry," he mumbled apologetically, "old habits."  
  
Just as he said it the sun finally appeared from behind the mountain range and Leo breathed out in relief. The arrival of the morning distracted Nicole's attention from him. She looked around with interest. The scenery was beautiful but unfriendly if not intimidating. There was not a single piece of green in sight, just grey and black rocks and in a distant she could see the red flames and dark smoke erupting from the top of the craters. Suddenly she felt a wave of panic hitting her. She span round and saw Cole looking around wildly getting more and more pale with each second. Before she had a chance to ask anything, the half demon fixed Leo with a hard stare and asked in a tensed voice.  
  
"Which mountain did you throw it in?"  
  
The whitelighter pointed to the crater of the highest mountain, "This one, it looked the most active and I thought that the Grimoire would definitely burn in there..." He stopped in mid sentence interrupted by a loud angry groan escaping through Cole's clenched teeth.  
  
"Do you know what this is?" Cole pointed to the mountain his eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
Leo shrugged his shoulder unsure of what had caused such reaction of his always so cool ex brother-in-law. "It's a volcano," he finally answered.  
  
Now Cole's face expressed an utter fury. The whitelighter took a few steps back and Nicole grabbed the half demon's arm.  
  
"Cole, what's wrong," she asked worriedly forcing him to look at her.  
  
An angry laugh escaped his mouth, "He does not even know," he yelled, "I can't believe it, at least if he did it on purpose I could understand. But he does not even know!!!"  
  
"Know what?" Nicole cried out her eyes pleading Cole to answer.  
  
The half demon turned to the whitelighter, "This is not a volcano, Leo," his voice was a mixture of anger and contempt. "This is the entrance to Oris." Leo paled, so did Nicole and Cole continued sarcastically, "Oh, I see that you've heard about it. Good to know that the Elders at least bothered to tell their whitelighters about the most horrible prison in the magic realm. Would be good if they not only told you about it but also showed it so that you wouldn't use it as a rubbish bin thinking it was just a volcano."  
  
Nicole stared at the mountain, fear consuming her. During her two weeks express course in magic she had learnt about Oris. It was the high security prison of the magic realm. Only for the gravest crimes against the magic itself could the demon, witch or any other magical creature be placed into Oris. It was considered to be worse than death. The moment prisoners entered the Oris their powers disappeared and they were reduced to a state of complete paralysis and could not move a single muscle. In this state they remained in their cells until the death came to rescue them. There was no other place in the Universe that was feared more than Oris and no worse fate than becoming its prisoner.  
  
Leo felt incredibly stupid and guilty. Neither Cole nor Nicole paid any attention to him. She was staring at the mountain and the half demon just stood next to her his anger and frustration clearly marked on his face. The whitelighter decided to raise his voice, "May be Lugels can ask the guards to find the Grimoire for you?" he suggested unsurely. "There must be guards in Oris to keep an eye on prisoners."  
  
A barking laugh answered his words, "Yeah, there are guards," Cole said caustically, "Ghosts. They are the only one who can move inside the Oris. And if you want to get an agreement with them, please be my guest. Ghosts of Oris have only one task and it's sacred to them: nothing and nobody ever leaves the prison. Talking to them is like talking to a zombie."  
  
"But there must be some power that can rule them?" Leo exclaimed.  
  
Cole shrugged, "Not that I know of. Ghosts of Oris stand outside the powers of magic. That's why there is no way back from Oris because there is no one who can reverse your sentence. If the High Court of Magic decides to place you there, it's the end. Since even the Court does not have the power to return a prisoner from the Oris."  
  
Leo was about to say something, but Nicole interrupted him, "That's enough," she said. "There is no point of staying here. Leo, you should go home. There is nothing you could do at the moment. And we are going to do some thinking. See if there is a way around this mess."  
  
The whitelighter hesitated for a moment shifting from one foot to the other but Nicole looked at him sternly and after murmuring quiet "sorry" he orbed out. The moment he left Cole lost control and his frustration spilled. "I hate these damn whitelighters and their ignorance," he yelled. "Guardian angels, my arse. How can the Elders keep their servants and charges in the dark about such important things?! I was ten years old when I was first taken to see the Oris and told to stay away from this place no matter what. And he chucks the Grimoire in there and does not even know it."  
  
Nicole tried to calm him down. Her hand touched his shoulder. "Come on, Cole. There is nothing we could do to change the situation. We should just go home and tomorrow we can consult with the Lugels and see may be there is a way to get around this."  
  
"Yeah," he muttered ironically, "or we should just tell my mother that there will be no Grimoire and she will just have to do without it. Will save everybody's time."  
  
When Vladimir arrived to the emergency meeting of the Lugel Council he was surprised to see that all thirteen members were present. That meant that there was something the Chosen Two wanted to discuss with the rest of the Council. When everybody took there places Cole spoke up.  
  
"We have asked the Council to meet because we have hit an obstacle in our plans to coronate the new Source," he paused for a second and continued. "All of you know that Grimoire is the essential part of the coronation ceremony. It activates the Sources powers and gives the new Source the ability to sense his servants and them to sense him. We knew that the Grimoire was hidden by the Charmed One's whitelighter in the volcano. But yesterday we found out that Wyatt had chucked it not into the volcano, or he thought it was a volcano. In reality the Grimoire is now laying at the bottom of the Oris."  
  
The sound of muffled gasps filled the room.  
  
"Did Wyatt know about the Oris?" Carlos exclaimed his voice elevating above the noise.  
  
"No," Nicole answered, "he thought that it was just an ordinary volcano. I checked he told us the truth. The Elders never showed him the Oris, they just told him about it. So it was a complete accident that when he was looking for a place to hide the Grimoire he picked the Oris."  
  
"These bloody Elders," Carlos could not contain his anger. "They are so scared to reveal their little secrets that don't even tell whitelighters the most basic things."  
  
A few voices agreed with him but Nicole interrupted this outburst against the Elders. "It's all nice and well, but we can complain about the Elders later and may even do something about it. At the moment we are facing a different problem. We need to find a way either to retrieve the Grimoire or to perform the ceremony without it."  
  
"You can't perform the ceremony without the Grimoire," Radgiv said adamantly. "The magic of the Grimoire is linked to the powers of the Source. Without the book the powers would not be activated and the Source would not be able to control his servants."  
  
"Well, can you recreate the Grimoire?" Cole asked. "I have seen a copy of it in the Lugel's realm. Can we use this book for the ceremony?"  
  
Sylvester shook his head, "A copy is just a copy. It has all the spells and is very useful for reference purposes but it will be completely useless for the coronation ceremony because it lacks the magical power of the Grimoire. You need the original one to activate the powers of the Source."  
  
"Well, we don't have it," Cole stated coldly. "And unless you know something I don't and there is somebody who has control over the ghosts of Oris we won't get it either."  
  
The tensed silence fell onto the Council and Nicole had a faint feeling that the other members were trying to exchange looks under their grey hoods. The half demon had a similar feeling and it filled his heart with nervous uneasiness. The silence lingered for few long minutes and when Nicole was about to demand the explanation, Celina threw her hood away and faced the two young Lugels. The rest of the Council followed her lead. And Cole immediately knew that his gut feeling was right. There was something he and Nicole did not know and he was almost sure that he was not going to like it either.  
  
Celina moved into the centre of the circle, her face unusually sober, "There is nobody who has the power over the ghosts of Oris but there is a way to slip pass them."  
  
"And what good will that do?" Nicole could not contain her scepticism. "Even if we can slip pass them we would not be able to move in Oris."  
  
"You will if you are a ghost," Celina objected.  
  
Nicole stared at her open mouthed and Cole asked incredulously, "You suggest that we find a ghost who'll get the Grimoire for us?"  
  
The French Lugel shook her head and looked at the half demon, a strange expression on her face. "No, Cole," she said quietly, "I mean that one of us has to become a ghost and I am afraid that there is only one person in this room who can do it."  
  
A feeling of uneasiness that Cole felt had risen from his stomach and formed a tight knot in his throat, "Who is it?" he asked wearily.  
  
Celina's eyes turned to his side and he already knew the answer before she said it, "It's Nicole," the French accent became very distinct. "She's the only one who is an innocent here and the only one who is not invincible." She paused and continued slowly, "The ghosts of Oris are not ordinary ghosts. They are the spirits of magical creatures, and not any magical creatures. Only those who never killed in their life and were themselves vanquished by a magical person could become the ghosts of Oris."  
  
Cole shook his head visibly struggling to contain his emotions. "You cannot be serious. You want to kill Nicole so she could become the ghost and retrieve the Grimoire? Don't you think this is pushing it too far?"  
  
Vladimir looked at him sympathetically, "I am sorry, but we need the Grimoire to fulfil our missions and she's the only one among us who can enter the Oris."  
  
"Yes, but she is also one of the Chosen Two." Cole said now in the rock hard voice. "If things go wrong your mission will be doomed anyway." Carlos was about to object but Cole just seared him with a deadly glare. "You don't have to remind me that we swore to do whatever it takes to bring the peace to the magic world. What is important we did not sign up to a suicide."  
  
"You will be able to resurrect her," Celina tried to sound confident, "the Grimoire has the spell..." she stopped mid sentence as if burnt by Cole's glare.  
  
"I have not been born yesterday. I know that resurrections are associated with immense risks and the outcome is far from certain."  
  
Radgiv decided to step into the conversation, "This is not your decision, Cole. Only Nicole can decide whether she's going to give this a shot."  
  
"You are mistaken," the half demon's retorted, "Nicole is my fiancé, and it is our decision." He was about to add something else, when Vladimir stepped into the conversation.  
  
"You are absolutely right, Cole, both you and Nicole have the right to take this decision together. But please listen to me before you make it." He waived his hand and a piece of parchment appeared in her hand. It looked familiar to Cole and he vaguely remembered that he'd seen a similar parchment in Schwarzlight's hands. As if the older Lugel had read his thoughts Vladimir continued, "This is the prophecy based on which we identified you. Lugels paid with their lives to collect all pieces of this puzzle. I will give it to you to read. You will see that it talks about the great deal of risk even about the danger you are facing currently. But it also talks about great hope you'll find at the end of it." The parchment glided towards the Chosen Two and Nicole came closer to Cole so she could read the inscription as well. The half demon took the parchment into his hand and the brown letters started to glow. Instinctively Nicole put her hand on the parchment and suddenly the inscription floated up in the air.  
  
Their pass lies through heaven and hell Through evil and good Through hate and love. Many dangers will follow them. And the death will meet them on thee way. They will kill, they will save, They will fall and get up. But as long as they are Hand in hand on thee pass Magic powers will serve them Keeping Chosen Two safe In each others arms.  
  
"This is not the inscription we know," O-Li exclaimed. "The one we had talked about the innocent who will stop being innocent when..."  
  
Dorian waived his hand interrupting her, "We were not the Chosen Two and only they could activate the second verse." He stepped in front and said, "This is not our decision," he said. "You are the Chosen Two. It's your destiny to bring the peace to the magic world. We can only advise and help you. I know that nobody should be asked to risk their lives and the lives of someone they love like that but I am afraid that we have little choice. We will leave you now so you can make the decision. If you decide to take it, all of us would do whatever we can to help you. If not that I am afraid it would be out of our hands." With these words he disappeared from the surface followed by the rest of the Council. Cole and Nicole were left alone. He looked at her pale face and his heart was torn apart. He made a few steps closer to her and whispered pulling her closer, "You don't have to do this."  
  
She smiled slightly into his chest but did not say anything. They stood like that for a while and then Nicole whispered, "Take me home, Cole."  
  
He nodded and shimmered away.  
  
Very late at night Celina was sitting in her kitchen looking through the big French doors into the dark garden. She could not sleep. Her mind was fighting with her heart and she could not forget Nicole's pale but strangely calm face while she listened to Cole fighting for her life during the Lugel's Council meeting. Though Nicole did not say a word while the rest was discussing her destiny, Celina knew that no matter what's been said the final decision would be taken by Nicole and that Cole would agree to whatever she decides. Celina was torn apart between the promise she made to a dead friend, her only love, and the duty she knew had to prevail. She remembered her induction into Lugel's, the face of William Schwarzlight and his stern voice "The goal is everything, always and everywhere." She also remembered the same voice saying. "Please Celina, you know what sacrifice is, please protect her. Promise me you'll do everything to save her life. She deserves to live. She's the only one left from our family."  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Surprised that somebody could visit her so late she went into the hall and looked through the pip hole. When she saw the woman standing on the porch she immediately flung the door open.  
  
"Hi, Celina," Nicole greeted in a calm voice. "I was hoping you were not asleep and we could talk."  
  
The older woman smiled and invited Nicole in, "Where is Cole?" she asked.  
  
"Oh," Nicole smiled lightly, "He is asleep. I mixed a sedative into his drink."  
  
Celina nodded but remained silent just looking at the younger woman. The latter took a deep breath and said, "I came here to tell you that I will take the chance and try to find the Grimoire."  
  
"What about Cole?" the French woman asked.  
  
Nicole smiled sadly, "He knows that we don't have a choice. We accepted our destiny and we have to carry through with this decision. If it was Cole who had to risk his life he would have agreed to your suggestion straight away. He is used to be at the forefront of events. For him it's easier to face the danger than to see somebody else risking his life. But he'll come round to it. Just give him a bit of time."  
  
The French woman nodded, "I think it will be very difficult for Cole to let you do it." She smiled sadly, "And he is not the only one who would feel much better if there was another way."  
  
Nicole lifted her hand interrupting the older woman, "I know Celina, there is no need to tell me," she said gently but sternly. "I came here to ask you a favour. And I want you to listen to me without interruptions." She paused and continued in a lower voice, "If things go wrong, I want you to promise me that you would do wherever it takes to make Cole continue on the Chosen Two pass." She noticed a surprised expression on the older woman's face and a forced mocking smile touched her lips, "Don't worry, I am not saying that because I am so overly devoted to the Lugel's mission. My primary concern is Cole. It would be a difficult time for him and there is no better remedy against grief than a very busy job, something meaningful. If Cole quits the whole Chosen Two thing, he would just be miserable alone and I don't want him to go through this. So I am asking you to make sure that he remains a Lugel. I don't care what you have to do to achieve that. Just keep him busy. I am sure Elizabeth will help you."  
  
Celina's eyes sparkled dangerously and Nicole really wished that the other woman would not start crying. It was way more than she could handle at the moment. Fortunately the older Lugel kept her cool and even managed a small smile. "I'll do as you ask," she said simply. "You don't have to worry about it. But I also can tell you that I would not be thinking about it. I am confident that you will be back from the Oris. I know you and Cole and am quiet certain that you are strong enough to trick even the magic of the Oris and Cole loves you enough to move heaven and hell to protect you."  
  
Nicole smiled wanly, but her eyes expressed gratitude for the older woman reassurance.  
  
At the same time Cole woke up. He found himself laying on the bed though he could not remember how he got there. He looked around and discovered that the other side of the bed was not touched. Immediately he knew that Nicole was not in the Penthouse. When he got to the living room he found a short note pinned to the table.  
  
"I went to see Celina. Don't worry. I'll be back soon.  
  
N."  
  
The coil that was squeezing his heart became tighter. The reality hit him. This moment Cole knew that Nicole would take the risk and try to retrieve the Grimoire. And that he would have to let her. If it was him he would without doubt take the risk and trust Nicole to resurrect him. Right now Cole would have given anything to be able to switch places with her, but it was not in his power. And it made his heart tremble in fear. The only though of losing her was unbearable. If she was gone there was nothing in his life worth living for, nothing worth breathing for. Cole pushed these thoughts out of his head. Nicole needed his support and help. And he needed to make sure that he would not lose her.  
  
Cole quickly went to the bathroom and stuck his head under the cold tub. The icy water allowed him to pull his thoughts into some sort of order. A moment later Cole Turner materialized in his mother's Underworld apartment.  
  
Elizabeth was sitting in a massive chair with a manuscript in front of her. The sound of shimmer made her look up and one glance at her son's face was enough to know that something was wrong. The demoness got up and rushed to him.  
  
"Belthazor, what's wrong?"  
  
The attempt of wry smile had failed miserably and Cole resigned to the fact that he was not able to pull a brave face in front of his mother. "The Grimoire is at the bottom of the Oris. And the only way to retrieve it is for Nicole to be killed and become a ghost," he blurted on one breath.  
  
Elizabeth paled and for the first time in the last hundred years she pulled her son into a tight hug. His first reaction was to push her away but she held him firmly and Cole just hugged her back trying his utter best not to cry. After a short while he pulled away, "Using a spell from the Grimoire I can resurrect her but I will need your help with it. The ceremony has to be done in the Underworld at the old Sources chambers. I will have to bring Nicole's body there and perform the ritual. We will need to completely secure the place. And I want you to be around so that you can step in if necessary."  
  
Elizabeth just nodded, "You know I'll do whatever it takes," she said simply and after the short hesitation added, "I know that you probably have discussed all this. But she does not have to do it, Cole."  
  
The half demon just shook his head, a pain obvious in his eyes but he managed to control his emotions. "She made the decision, mother, and I support it no matter that every cell in my body screams against it. If it was me I would have taken the risk and Nicole would have supported me. Now it's my turn. And that's why I am here. I need you to do one more thing. Nicole has to be killed and the only way is by the direct stroke of the athame into the heart. She has self-healing powers so one inch away and the wound won't be fatal. It would just cause her immense pain. I can't have her suffer this. That's why I am asking you to deliver that stroke. I know you won't miss."  
  
Elizabeth's face now was deadly pale, "You can't ask me that," she whispered backing away from him, "You can't ask me to kill the woman you love, the woman whom you are about to marry."  
  
Cole's face was as pale as his mother's, he took Elizabeth's hands into his and lowered his head his eyes never leaving hers, "I know I can't ask you that but I do. Please help me through this, mother. There is no one else, whom I can trust with this except you."  
  
It took all the will power the demoness had to keep herself from running away or bursting into tears. She bit her lips so hard that she could taste the blood and nodded silently. Cole breathed out in relief. "I'll let you know when the time comes," he said and shimmered away afraid that if he stayed any longer his determination would slip away.  
  
He reappeared in the Penthouse almost the same time as Nicole. They stared at each other. In this moment it was easier to use telepathy than to find words. He knew that she decided to take the risk and she knew that he resigned to the fact and would support her through it. And both of them knew that if they let their emotions take control just for one moment they won't be able to regain to compose themselves again. The sudden sound of orbing interrupted this silent conversation and both Lugels were surprised to see Leo orbing into the Penthouse. His face expressed an utter worry and he looked visibly relieved to find both of them in.  
  
"Good that you're here," Leo blurted out. "I have just been to Oris." He saw a surprised looks on their faces. "I wanted to make sure that it was exactly the same mountain that I have chucked the Grimoire in."  
  
"And?" Cole exclaimed, his heart suddenly filling with hope.  
  
"It is," Leo confirmed not noticing how the two faces in front of him fell. "But I noticed that something was different. There was so much roaring noise and the whole ground was shaking. If I did not know better I would have thought that the volcano was about to erupt."  
  
Cole and Nicole exchanged worried glances, "What could that be?" she asked.  
  
The half demon paced around the living room. "I don't know," he finally answered. "We should go and have a look."  
  
With these words they blurred away followed closely by Leo. When they arrived to Oris the first impression was that nothing had changed. But very quickly they saw that the flames erupting from the top of the crater were rising much higher than before lighting already darkening sky with all shades of red. The ground under their feet shuddered with low roaring sound. It indeed looked like the volcano was about to erupt. Nicole and Cole exchanged looks.  
  
"I don't like this," she said. "Something is going on."  
  
The half demon nodded in agreement.  
  
"But what could it be?" Leo asked. "I have been reading up on Oris at the Elder's library. It's never has been relocated. Every thousand years the guards clean it up and throw away the dead bodies and all the debris into the lava stream, which then flows into the ocean."  
  
The moment he said it, Nicole and Cole almost jumped up. "Well, I think now we know, it's a cleaning day," Cole muttered.  
  
Nicole grabbed him by the arm. "If they find the Grimoire before us it will end up in the ocean and we would never be able to locate it again."  
  
The half demon's face sobered. "We need to hurry," he said slowly. "I'll go to Celina, get everything organised."  
  
The ground under their feet shook violently and the large cracks appeared in the surface. "It's too late for that," Nicole cried out. She stretched her arm and an athame appeared in her hand.  
  
"No," Cole yelled.  
  
"I am really sorry about this, Cole," her eyes glimmered with determination. He felt her warm fingers touching his cheek and the next moment Nicole flung her hand forward and the half demon flew back and disappeared out of sight.  
  
The young woman turned to Leo who looked at her in a complete shock. She put the athame into his hand and forced him to lift it.  
  
"Listen to me Leo. I need to retrieve the Grimoire. And the only way to do it is for me to become a ghost. You have to vanquish me with this athame. Aim straight into the heart and don't worry. Cole will be able to resurrect me after I find the Grimoire."  
  
The whitelighter's face paled and he threw the athame away from him, "You are insane," he yelled. "I am a whitelighter not a demon."  
  
"Well, I suggest you forget about it for now." Nicole said sternly another athame appearing in her hand. "Because you don't have a choice. We are running out of time and if you don't do it now then you can forget about saving Piper and..." Hew words were interrupted by Leo grabbing her shoulders and shaking them violently.  
  
"Stop throwing this into my face," he shouted. "I hate you, you ruined my life with your "if you don't do this Piper will die, if you don't do that she will die as well". Don't you see that every time you say it, it kills me?"  
  
A sharp pain from a slap made him release Nicole. The young woman glared at him her eyes sparkling furiously, "You don't leave me any other choice," she yelled. "You are so stubborn and narrow minded that it is impossible to communicate with you. Do you think I enjoy threatening you and constantly dealing with your hostility? Do you think I have nothing better to do than to listen to your moaning and accusations? I hate you as much as you do. You put the person I love with all my heart through so much pain that if it was up to me I would send you straight to hell and never hear your name again. But I don't have a choice. I have a task to fulfil and it is more important than me or you or your precious family for that matter. You claim to be a guardian angel than stop thinking about your beloved wife for a minute and think about all these people who will die as a result of the power imbalance, which by the way you helped to create by killing the Source without even thinking of the consequences. And now Cole and I have to fix your mess. Do you think I want to risk my life? I am not suicidal, you know. I love my life, for the first time I am happy, I am in love and I am loved by the best man in the world. And in stead of liying in his arms I am keeping him away so that he does not have to see this." She lifted the athame and pushed it into the Leo's hand. "Now you are going to pull it together and do what I told you."  
  
"No," Leo cried. "No, I can't, I can't. I am supposed to heal not kill people."  
  
Nicole sighed tiredly, her pale face expressing a great strain. "Leo, listen to me. The world is not black and white, there is such thing as necessary evil. And angels are not exempt from having to do dirty work. If you can't understand it than I can't help you. But I swear to God, if you don't do as I say, I will kill Piper myself. And I will not feel guilty because it would be an act of mercy considering the fate of being killed by her won son." She forced Leo to look at her. "We don't have time. If the Grimoire is lost, so will the future of magic and the Halliwell family." She noticed the whitelighter hesitating. The ground shuddered again. Nicole lifted Leo's arm and placed the athame next to her heart.  
  
"Hurry, Leo," her voice was quiet. "I can't keep Cole away from here for long and you don't want him to see you killing me."  
  
The whitelighter was shaking violently. Suddenly his mind was filled with the images of Piper's lifeless bodies in his arms. A voice whispering in his hand, "Do it, just do it."  
  
He gripped the athame and felt it penetrating the human flesh. A soft gasp forced him to open his eyes and he saw Nicole's body sliding on the ground. Her eyes flattered for a moment and closed. Leo just stood there the bloody athame in his hand. He did not hear the sound of shimmer. The pain from a punch made him drop the athame and he collapsed to the ground. Cole fell on his knees next to Nicole's body. His face distorted with pain. A grey shadow separated from her body, it circled the ground for a moment and then rushed through Cole's body and floated towards the flames of the crater and the half demon heard a soft whisper, "I will come back, I promise." His vision became blurry and he buried his face in her neck. But his mind did not let him fall apart. He needed to keep his head cool, he had a lot to do and could not afford a mistake. He lifted his head, scooped Nicole into his arms and turned to Leo who was still in a trance sitting on the ground. The half demon could not look at the whitelighter, "Get out of here," he said trying to control himself. "Go home."  
  
Leo did not move. Cole noticed the athame lying next to him. Carefully clutching Nicole's body he picked the knife and put it in his pocket. He was about to blur when the ground under his feet shuddered and large crack appeared between him and Leo. The whitelighter seemed not to have noticed. Cole made a few steps towards him and shook him violently. "Get out of here. You've done your part," he repeated. When Leo did not react, Cole grabbed the back of his shirt and blurred away. In the same position they reappeared in the Source's chambers. Cole dropped Leo on the floor where the latter just lay in the heap. Holding Nicole's body in his arms the half demon concentrated all his power. A few seconds later two female figures materialized in the chamber. 


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks very much for your reviews. Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Cole had just finished putting a protective spell around Nicole's body. He could not seal the chamber itself since the ghost had to be able to enter and he absolutely dreaded that something would happen to the body preventing him from performing the ceremony. Celina approached him and touched his shoulder to attract his attention. The French woman looked older and her black hair was now grey, but her penetrating dark eyes were still the same and they radiated warmth and support.  
  
"There are six of us here," she said quietly, "except you. Sylvester and Angela are controlling the entrance. Vladimir, Steven, O-Li and me will be at every corner of this room. So try not to worry too much. We are more than prepared."  
  
The half demon nodded, "Thanks, Celina. I'll be calm when this is over and Nicole is back with me."  
  
The older woman gave him a sympathetic look, "I know. And I want to give you this," she handed him a sheet of paper filled with a small but very accurate handwriting. "This is a resurrection spell from the Grimoire," she said, "and this," she pulled another sheet from the pocket of her robe, "is calling for the lost love spell." A questioning look on his face forced Celina to explain. She lowered her voice to mere whisper and continued, "If Nicole does not return by the end of the night, I want you to use the lost love spell to call her spirit and perform the resurrection ceremony."  
  
"But I will need the Grimoire for that," Cole asked looking at her suspiciously.  
  
The older woman just waved her hand dismissively, "Of course it would be easier with the Grimoire but you are one of the Chosen Two. You are more powerful than anybody who ever used the Grimoire before. Plus you and Nicole have a special link, it would make things a lot easier. I just want you to promise me that if she's not back by the end of the night you'll go ahead with the ceremony no matter what any of us says."  
  
The half demon stared at Celina, "Why?" he asked quietly.  
  
She hesitated for a second and then answered carefully, "Because after 12 hours there are many more things that could go wrong during the resurrection ceremony and I don't want to take such risks. If she does not find the Grimoire within 12 hours there is very little chance she will find it at all. I have made a promise a long time ago to William Schwarzlight that I would protect Nicole as much as possible. This promise is very dear to me. I could not prevent her from taking this risk but I can minimize it and I will do it no matter what the Council thinks about it."  
  
The half demon nodded and his attention moved to the description of the ceremony. The ritual was very complicated and Cole found a whole list of ingredients that were needed. "That's a very long list," he said.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Elizabeth was standing behind him, her eyes studying the French woman.  
  
Cole was glad that his mother was there. He would never have admitted it openly but his nerves were strained as a bow and her calming presence gave him that extra support he needed. "Thanks," he answered passing her the list.  
  
"I'll go with you," Celina suggested. "It would be good if we get everything ready as soon as possible."  
  
Elizabeth just nodded in agreement and the two women shimmered out. Cole looked around and saw Leo who set in the corner staring in front of him. Cole turned away. He knew that Leo followed Nicole's orders but it still did not change the fact the Leo was the one putting the knife in her heart. And now Cole was immensely grateful that it was not his mother. The half demon sighed and took a step towards Leo. The voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"What do you want to do with him?" Vladimir asked.  
  
Cole turned around, "I want to modify his memory that he would not remember what he'd done and then send him home."  
  
The Lugel shook his head, "Don't do it just yet. Leo should stay here until the ritual is completed."  
  
"Why?" Cole raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Because the blood of the killer can help with the resurrection."  
  
Cole stared at him as if Vladimir suddenly gone mad, "So do you suggest that I just kill him?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Vladimir shrugged impatiently, "Of course, not. A few drops of blood will be enough. So just put him to sleep for now and then we can decide whether we should keep his memory or not."  
  
That was good advice and a few minutes later Leo was sound asleep and the half demon found himself sitting in front of Nicole's body. Every look at her was painful but he could not move himself away. He wondered where was Nicole's soul? Did she manage to enter the Oris, would she be able to find the Grimoire? Cole sighed, patience was never his virtue and at the moment waiting was torturous. It was going to be a long night, probably the longest in his life.  
  
Nicole glided closer to the Oris. The flames erupted from the crater and she had to remind herself that she was a fleshless ghost and no fire could harm her. She gathered her courage and floated into the flames. She came out on the other side and the sight in front of her made her stop still. The place was immense. It looked like sci-fi movies with a massive opening in the middle and a whole net of narrow tunnels going into all directions. It would take her forever to find the Grimoire in here. For a moment Nicole felt lost but than she reminded herself that the sooner she would find the Grimoire the sooner she would be back with Cole again. She floated to one of the tunnels. What she saw inside made her shiver with horror. Now she knew why the Oris was feared so much among the magic community. The prisoners of Oris did not have cells or at least not the cells in the normal understanding of this word. They were immured into the walls of the tunnel. The creature Nicole saw looked very human-like. It was a woman, her eyes were wide open but Nicole could not notice any reaction in them. The young Lugels glided further and was relieved when she passed the prisoner. If she knew beforehand how grim and scary this place was she would not have hurried volunteering for this job. But now she could not go back. Nicole floated further looking around carefully scared to miss the Grimoire. The time was flying pass, the tunnels changed but there was no sign of the book. Slowly Nicole could feel a fear entering her heart. What if she could not find it? She pushed these thoughts away and concentrated on her task. When she entered the next tunnel she almost collided with a group of ghosts, they were gliding to the outside pushing a heap of levitated debris in front of them. They stopped and observed Nicole with calm interest.  
  
"Who are you?" Nicole could hear a telepathic question.  
  
She decided to stick to the truth as much as possible, "I am new," she answered. "I have just been looking around."  
  
"Oh," the ghosts looked at her more curiously, but fortunately there was no surprise in their reaction.  
  
"Well, there is nothing here to see. We've cleaned this one. We have another hundred to go. You should join us. We'll show you around."  
  
Nicole hesitated for a moment but then decided to follow them. It did not matter which tunnel she would go next. And may be she could find out from other ghosts if they had already found the Grimoire. Again one tunnel followed another. The ghosts were commenting about the prisoners and Nicole just kept quiet listening to them. From their conversations she found out that there were about ten other groups clearing up the Oris. Desperation filled her heart. There was no way she would find the Grimoire in this place. Even without the clear up operation it would have taken her months. And now the chances that the Grimoire was already found by one of the other groups were rising every minute.  
  
Nicole could not say how long she'd been with the ghosts, during this trip she saw horrible things and forced herself not to be touched by them. Her task was the Grimoire and she kept studying every inch of surface, every new item found by the cleaning team. After another tunnel the ghosts instead of entering the next one turned and glided upwards. And Nicole noticed that there were ten other groups each of them pushing a pile of debris in front of them. Desperation did not describe what Nicole felt. There was no way she could find the Grimoire in this mountain of a thousand years old crap. She followed the other ghosts watching how they merged the piles together and levitated them to the top of the crater. Nicole had nothing left but to trail behind them. Soon she found herself outside the crater and found that the place had changed completely. When before there were black rocks there was now a stream of smoking lava flowing slowly towards the ocean. For a moment the mountain of debris floated in the air and then slowly fell into the scorching lava. The ghosts hovered for a moment watching it and then glided back into the crater.  
  
Nicole did not follow them, she waited for the ghosts to disappear and then floated after the mountain of debris searching every inch for the Grimoire. She did not have much hope but suddenly she could feel the strong power spill. She followed it like a beacon and saw the black book floating on top of the lava completely unharmed by the flames. She rushed to it and tried to levitate the book but instead she was flung away by the invisible power. Nicole repeated her effort but with the same result. The book was surrounded by some protective shield and she was not able to penetrate it. Without much hesitation Nicole concentrated her telepathy and tried to reach Cole.  
  
The half demon was snapped out of his thoughts but a distant cry, "Cole. I can't touch this book. You have to get here, quickly."  
  
Without a single word he shimmered out leaving the Lugel team and his mother staring at the spot where he just sat. He followed her call and found himself in the middle of a stream of lava. And several feet away he could just make out the outline of the ghosts hovering above the black book. He concentrated on using his telekinesis to lift the book from the flames and very slowly the Grimoire levitated from the scorching stream and the half demon firmly clasped his hands around it. They were paying a very high price for this book and Cole was not going to risk loosing it again. He lifted his head and saw the ghost gliding next to him. "I have it," he send a mental signal to Nicole, "now we can go back to the Underworld and it will be all over." He was about to shimmer away when he caught a sight of the ghost gliding towards him. A thought hit his mind and before he could ask anything his suspicion was confirmed by Nicole.  
  
"I can't shimmer. I don't have any powers except telepathy." The young woman felt helpless and she fought really hard not to panic.  
  
Cole thought for a moment and thankfully Celina's words came to mind. "Don't worry," he tried to make his telepathy sound reassuring. "I have a spell ready, I'll call for you. Just give me a minute."  
  
Nicole had to gather all her courage to just let him go. But she knew there was no other way. She had to let him go. Cole gave the ghosts another reassuring glance and shimmered out.  
  
He reappeared in the Underworld chamber and was met by the worried Lugels. When they saw the Grimoire in his hands, they breathed out in relief. Elizabeth just looked at her son.  
  
"Where is Nicole?" she asked soberly.  
  
"She can't shimmer," Cole answered heading to the altar. "She does not have any powers except telepathy."  
  
"But you will be able to resurrect her?" he heard a shaky voice from the corner. The whitelighter looked terrible, pale with his eyes glimmering wildly. The half demon just looked at him. And not hearing the answer, Leo continued, "You have to resurrect her, otherwise, I will be, I will be a..."  
  
But Cole interjected him with a low but dangerous voice, "Don't say it," he warned Leo, "don't even think it."  
  
With these words he kneeled in front of the altar, with a wave of his hand the barrier surrounding Nicole's body was gone and Cole took her cold hand into his. The candles lit up. Cole took an athame, which still had traces of Nicole's blood. He bowed his head and cut his wrist so that his and Nicole blood mixed together.  
  
With the power of light And the power of darkness I am calling for you Since you holding my heart Please come back Through the plains and dimensions Please come back My now lost ever Love.  
  
For a few moments nothing happened and Cole repeated the spell again. This time he focused all his power on reaching to Nicole. His tensed words echoed through the silence of the chamber and the candle flames shuddered. Next moment the wind flowed through the room and the ghosts reappeared in front of him.  
  
Cole breathed out in relief but this was only the first part. The ghost glided towards Nicole's body and stayed still.  
  
From his place in the corner Leo could see how Cole got up and opened the Grimoure. The four hooded figures, which stood motionless in each corner of the chamber had moved towards the centre of the room surrounding the altar. The dark haired woman who looked vaguely familiar to Leo approached him and motioned the whitelighter towards the altar. He hesitated for a moment but the woman was obviously waiting for him and he did not have anything left than to move closer towards the centre of the room. The hooded figures stepped aside allowing him to pass and he took place slightly behind Cole with the woman standing just a few feet away. Panic struck Leo. He could not understand a word from the inscription in the book but he could feel the power coming from it. He noticed the athame lying on the altar and immediately remembered that a lot of demonic ceremonies required human sacrifices. He stared at the back of Cole's head praying that the latter would explain to him what was going on. The whitelighter looked around and saw that there was no escape from this place: he was completely surrounded by the figures in black robes. Just as Leo was about to raise his voice, Cole turned around with a very annoyed expression on his face. "Leo, nothing is going to happen to you. All we need is a few drops of your blood. A small prickle will do the job. So please stop panicking it's distracting."  
  
The whitelighter felt slightly offended by his condescending tone, "I did not say anything," he grumbled quietly.  
  
Cole just turned away, "But your thoughts were loud enough."  
  
The whitelighter did not have time to answer. Cole took the book in both hands and started chanting. His voice sounded very distinct in the silence of the chamber. Leo could not understand a single word but he could feel power radiating from his ex brother-in-law. In awe he saw how the different ingredients fell into the crystal chalice. Cole had not lifted a finger, they moved following his silent orders. The liquid in the chalice first turned light yellow, then bright blue and then cleared up a slight mist forming above it. Cole's voice became slightly louder and Leo could feel how the half demon channelled his power into the potion. Another ingredient dissolved in the liquid and it turned completely black. Somebody pushed Leo in the back and the whitelighter took a step forward stretching his hand. As if following invisible hand the athame moved and Leo could feel the pain of the light cut. He squeezed his palm into a fist allowing his blood to drip into the chalice. In a blink of an eye the liquid turned bright red. The whitelighter raised his head and froze. Usually piercing blue had turned completely black with flames flashing in them. These eyes radiated an immense power and following their gaze the liquid started to boil, a thick black fog forming on top of it. It took a shape of vortex growing with every second. Cole's voice now thundered in the chambers. The vortex was now so big that Leo had to take a step back. When the vortex started to look like a miniature tornado the half demon raised his hand and the ghosts disappeared in the vortex. For a second it hovered above Nicole's body. Cole flung his hand forward and the vortex collapsed on Nicole's body enveloping it completely. The half demon took the chalice and smashed it into the wall. The vortex disappeared and Leo heard a quiet gasp. Green eyes opened wide and looked around wildly until they landed on Cole. A weak smile touched her lips, "Cole," she whispered barely audible.  
  
The half demon dropped to his knees his arms wrapping around Nicole. "Nicole, oh God," the sparkling blue eyes searched her face. "Are you okay?"  
  
She nodded smiling at him, tears standing in her eyes. Nicole lifted her hand and touched his face. He covered her hand with his tenderly kissing the palm. And then pulled her into his embrace. Everybody stayed quiet for a few moments. Then Elizabeth took a step forward. "You will need to rest for a couple of days," she said gently. "There is no reason for you two to stay here, just go. We'll finish everything here."  
  
Cole helped Nicole to get up his hands wrapped protectively around her waist. He looked at Celina and the latter just smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry, we'll take care of everything," she said.  
  
Cole did not have to be asked twice. He pulled Nicole closer and blurred away.  
  
When they disappeared Leo realized that he was left with 5 demons or whatever they were, and had no idea what their plans were for him. One of the man in hooded robes turned to him and asked coolly, "Listen to me carefully, whitelighter Wyatt. What happened during the last twelve hours cannot spread beyond these walls. So you have two options at the moment. First, your memory could be modified so that you would not remember anything from the moment when you showed Cole and Nicole the place where you hid the Grimoire. Second your memories will stay intact and you will have to live for the rest of your life with the knowledge of what happened and what you have done. You will not be able to tell anyone, even your wife or your children, not now not ever. I can promise you that if you choose to modify your memory there will be no side effects. The choice is yours."  
  
Leo hesitated, part of him wanted to forget everything he saw and did during this night. And another part was telling him that Nicole Berg and Cole Turner would remember everything and if he chose to forget it would mean that once again he did not have the courage to face the reality, to make a difficult choice, to carry it through and to take responsibility for it. And no matter how tempting oblivion was it was not an option, it meant failing, it meant admitting that he was no more than an ordinary coward. The whitelighter lifted his head and stared at the hooded figure. "I don't want to modify my memory," and as if his words were not clear enough he repeated, "I choose to remember what I've done and I promise I would not tell a living soul."  
  
For a second the man stood still and Leo could feel how his eyes from below the hood bored into him. Finally, the man said, "Fine, this is your choice. You can go now."  
  
The whitelighter did not wait for the second permission and orbed out. He reappeared in front of the Manor. He saw the light in the attic and immediately heard the Charmed Ones call. He sighed and orbed into the manor.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?" Piper yelled at her husband. "We've been calling for you for the last two hours."  
  
"I've been with a charge," he answered tiredly. "I could not leave her."  
  
Piper just snorted, but Phoebe prevented her from retorting. "Leo, I had a premonition," the middle Halliwell looked very pale. "Cole had retrieved the Grimoire. There was an eruption of the volcano and he snatched the Grimoire straight from the lava stream and disappeared with it."  
  
The whitelighter mentally cursed, this was not good. "Did you see anything else," he asked wearily.  
  
"No," Phoebe shook her head, "just what I told you."  
  
"I think this is enough," Paige piped in. Leo turned his gaze and just stared at her questioningly. "Oh, come on Leo. I don't see what are you so surprised and upset about. We all knew that he was an evil bastard. He's already been the Source once, so what will stop him from doing it again."  
  
The whitelighter stood quietly, he had to think of what to do. He needed to stop the Charmed One going after Cole. "I will speak to the Elders about it," he said finally.  
  
"Sure," Phoebe replied, "but we have already talked here and we are going to stop Cole from becoming the Source. He is already powerful enough. We can't have his powers multiplied by the Grimoire."  
  
Paige nodded in agreement, "We have already started to work on the vanquishing potion."  
  
The whitelighter moved his gaze from one sister to another. And for the first time he felt uncomfortable with the way the Charmed Ones took decisions. They did not try to find out more about the situation. They made their judgement and were going to execute the convict.  
  
"I think you should not do anything before I speak to the Elders," Leo said firmly. "It might be that Cole did not want the Grimoire for himself or he needed it for some other purpose."  
  
Piper stared at her husband as if he suddenly gone mad and Paige exploded, "Wait?" she shrieked, "Leo, are you nuts? We can't wait. Cole is going to become the Source and we need to stop him."  
  
Leo had a long day and his nerves were so strained that he could not control himself anymore. "How do you know?" he yelled, "Did Cole tell you that he wanted to become the next Source? Did you see it in your premonition?" he seared Phoebe with an angry glare. "You just assuming all these things, again." He realized that he said more than he planned and tried to calm himself, "All I am saying it that there might be another explanation."  
  
Phoebe looked at her brother-in-law suspiciously, "What other explanation, Leo?" she asked. "We are talking about Cole here, I think his history speaks for itself."  
  
"You can't judge people based on their history, Phoebe. You are a psychologist, you should know that."  
  
"May be people you can't judge, but he is not people, he is a demon," Piper stated sternly.  
  
"This demon saved your arses several times," Leo objected, "who was a member of this family?" When he said it Leo knew immediately that he made a mistake.  
  
Phoebe paled and seared him with a deadly glare. "What are you getting at Leo?" she hissed, "are you telling me that you think Cole is innocent? Well, that's an interesting development since just two weeks ago you were convinced that he was evil. Are you expressing your own opinion or is this the new official position of the Elders?"  
  
Leo stammered, her question found him at a loss. He was shocked by his own reaction, why was he defending Cole Turner? He hated the guy. The answer came to him momentarily. He believed Nicole Berg. He knew she told him the truth that him and his family killed an innocent man just because of his past. They committed a cold blooded murder. His discovery stunned him. He looked at three sisters staring at him and suddenly felt utterly frustrated. He could not get through to them. Not without telling them everything he knew and even then he doubted that they would change their minds. Leo shook his head. He owed Cole Turner more than he would ever be able to repay. But now was not the time to think about his failures as a whitelighter. He can do it later when he helps Cole and Nicole to negotiate their peace deal. Now he needed to keep the Charmed Ones on his side. He took a deep breath and lied to his family for the first time in his life, "I am sorry," he said trying to sound sincere. "I did not mean that. I am just really worried about you guys. I have spoken to the Elders a lot recently and they are very worried about Cole's new powers. You are not nearly powerful enough to go against him. That's why I want you to let me first speak to the Elders. May be they have some extra information. You are vulnerable now especially with Piper pregnant. We need to be well prepared not only with potions but also with the information if we go after somebody as powerful as Cole."  
  
Piper's face softened, she took her husband by the hand, "I think Leo is right," she told her sisters. "We should get all the information first."  
  
Leo sighed with relief, now that Piper was on his side he knew he could convince the rest. He noticed a resentful look that Paige gave her oldest sister and quickly added, "You should still work on the potion, Paige. You definitely have a talent for it. Just promise me that you won't go after Cole before I talk to the Elders."  
  
The youngest Charmed One was very pleased with Leo's compliment on her witchery skills, "Fine," she murmured. "I guess a bit of preparation won't do us any harm."  
  
She looked at Phoebe but the middle sister just set in the chair. When all eyes concentrated on her, she shrugged her shoulders, "Just as long as it won't take forever. We don't exactly have an eternity here."  
  
The sisters headed downstairs with Leo walking behind them. His thoughts were grim. In one day he killed an innocent, took part in the resurrection ceremony, which was as dark magic as it could be, found out that he was guilty of a murder of a family member and bluntly lied to the said family. That was indeed an eventful day. 


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you very much for your reviews. They do help me write and keep my muse active. Anyway here is the next chapter. I tried to fit in a bit more of Cole and Nicole being together and also to give him a hobby, which was suggested in one of the reviews. So thanks Lunatigre for the idea. Hope you'll like it. Let me know.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
When Cole and Nicole finished blurring their bodies were wrapped into a tight embrace. They looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with emotion and kissed long and passionately. They pulled apart almost gaping for breath and Nicole buried her face in his chest.  
  
"I am so happy to see you," she whispered.  
  
"I know," he answered softly and sighed, "Oh, God, I know..." He lifted her face and saw tears in her eyes, which she unsuccessfully tried to hold. He brushed them away. "Please don't cry," his eyes looked at her pleadingly. "We are together. Everything is fine. And I promise I never will let you risk like that again."  
  
Nicole tried to smile but all the emotions of the day overwhelmed her and she started to sob lowering her head so he could not see her tears, "I thought I would never see you again," she whispered, "I was so scared." Cole did not know what to do. It broke his heart to see her cry, knowing what she went through and that he could not prevent it. All he could do now was to hold her close, stroke her hair and let her cry on his shoulder. When her sobs died down he picked her up and carried into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water full of bubbles. Cole helped Nicole to get into the tub and sat next to the bath holding her hand in his. He could see she was tired, all her muscles were tensed and her face looked pale as she rested her head on the pillow. But slowly the warmth or water and a tender aroma of oils had their effect, Nicole's body relaxed and she drifted into sleep. Her hand was still gripping his and he did not try to pull it away. Being next to her had a calming influence on him and Cole could feel the tension of the last twelve hours leaving his body and mind. When the water cooled down he scooped Nicole into a large towel, carried her into the bedroom and covered with warm blankets. But the moment he straightened up and wanted to move away Nicole's eyes flew open and she clutched his hand in panic. "Don't go," she whispered, "you can't leave me alone, not tonight."  
  
"I was not planning on that," he whispered slipping out of his clothes. Next moment she was cuddled up in his arms and Cole planted a small kiss on her forehead. But it was not enough for her she lifted her head so that her lips touched his. Cole fully intended not to let things go too far but Nicole's lips were so soft and she tasted so amazing that he just could not stop kissing her. Her hands wrapped around his neck and he gently rolled on top of her. Before the last bit of self control left him Cole tried to pull away, "You need to rest," he whispered hoarsely.  
  
Her eyes just glimmered seductively, "And even more I need to feel alive," she whispered back capturing his mouth. All reason left Cole. His whole body longed for the feel of her body next to him. It was a proof that he did not lose her and that this incredible woman was again where she belonged, in his arms. Now losing himself in her kisses he swore that he would never let her leave him.  
  
Nicole was not thinking. She wanted to forget everything she went through today: the feeling of coldness and emptiness she had while gliding through the Oris, the fear of remaining a fleshless ghost forever and even stronger fear of never seeing Cole again. Now when she was lying in his arms, his lips and hands exploring her body, Nicole was savouring every moment. She responded to his touch wildly soft moans escaping her mouth. And soon he was not able to hold himself any longer. Her body arched towards him and his body responded to this invitation. They moved in complete unison, shared passion washing away all fears, worries and pain.  
  
Nicole woke up when the sun was already high. She found herself alone in bed which had all the obvious signs of a wild night. She could hear the faint noise of the shower coming from the en suite bathroom and was about to get up when she realised that the room she was in was not the Penthouse bedroom. She looked around taking in the luxury interior when Cole came out of the shower.  
  
"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted in a light tone. His hair was glistering wet and when he bent down to give her a kiss, she could smell his aftershave. The kiss deepened and Nicole's almost forgot all her questions, but at the last moment her curiosity took over and she pulled away.  
  
"You are not going to get away from answers this way, not again," she smiled back.  
  
Cole's face expressed sincere disappointment and slight confusion. "I am not trying to get away from any answers," he said straightening up.  
  
"Then how will you explain that I have no idea where we are?"  
  
The half demon smiled, "Oh, I was too preoccupied last night to tell you," his eyes swept around her appreciatively, taking in the beautifully messy hair and brightly red lips. Nicole blushed and Cole sighed and turned his gaze away. Never in his life he had more desire for a woman. He cleared his throat, "Anyway," he said deciding that talking was a safer option, "this is my place in the Underworld."  
  
Nicole looked around curiously, "The one your mother was talking about?"  
  
He shook his head, "Not exactly. That apartment is in the centre. This is more like a summer home."  
  
"Summer home?" Nicole repeated, "Why do demons need summer homes?"  
  
"The same reason as the mortals," he set next to her on the bed. "To get away from everything. Like yesterday I did not want to go back to the Penthouse, because anybody could show up there, my mother, Leo, the Charmed Ones. And if we went to Schwarzlight Manor, than I bet you that Celina would have woken us up at seven in the morning worrying if you were okay and offering us biscuits or something. The same happens in the Underworld. This place is different. Even if somebody knew we were here they would never disturb us unless it was life or death situation."  
  
"And when did you get this place?" she asked looking at the luxurious fitting of the bedroom.  
  
Cole hesitated for a moment, "Well, I kind of inherited it. It's a summer residence of the Belthor Clan."  
  
Nicole stared at him with big eyes, "What?"  
  
Cole looked at her a small smile appearing on his face, "What so strange about it? My mother is not the first upper level demon in her family. All of them were very powerful and therefore rich. This place was in the family for generations and I think it was my great grandfather who rebuilt it. So when my mother "died" thirty years ago I inherited it. When she came back I offered it to her, but she did not want it back."  
  
Nicole listened to him with acute interest. It was fascinating to learn about the history of his family. From her exchange of memories with Cole she remembered a few images of a gorgeous house and was now curious if this was it.  
  
"So will you give me a tour?" she asked looking at him teasingly.  
  
The half demon laughed, "Of course, as soon as you are ready." He did not have to repeat twice. Nicole was out of bed in a flash and ten minutes later she was already dressed anxious to explore Cole Turner's Underworld home.  
  
He started the promised tour from the top floor and Nicole was impressed by how beautiful the place was. It was definitely Cole's. Very tasteful, very expensive and very smart. The house combined the character of past generations and comfort of modern technology. And there was no question that the owner himself felt at great ease in this place. Their excursion finished in a massive living room with a beautiful grand piano in the middle and a large fireplace.  
  
"Do you play?" she asked pointing at the piano.  
  
"Yeah," he said, "My mother is very good and she taught me to play though since I joined the Brotherhood I did not really practice much."  
  
Nicole opened the piano her finger touching the keys. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "It's really strange to know that you had this whole life for almost a hundred years, about which I don't really know much. Hey I was not even born yet."  
  
Cole took a few steps closer pulling her into a hug, "You know about me more than anybody else in this world."  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, because I was too impatient to practice my powers. But it's not the same. This telepathic exchange was like a whole bunch of facts, they were not really emotionally coloured. It's completely different when you tell me yourself."  
  
"Well, you'll have plenty of time to learn, I'll bore you with my stories," he joked planting a light kiss on her nose.  
  
Nicole giggled, "Can't wait." She looked around the room and her gaze stopped on the beautiful tapestry hanging on one of the walls. The young woman had a strange feeling in her stomach, "Is there anything behind this tapestry?" she asked.  
  
"Just the wall," Cole answered quickly. He pulled away from her, "What do you think about having some breakfast? In all honesty yesterday evening I was not in the mood for food as my stomach keeps reminding me."  
  
She smiled at him warmly, "Breakfast will be great."  
  
"Then I suggest you go to the garden," he pointed to the large French doors opening into the beautiful loan with trees and flowers growing on the sides, "and I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
Nicole nodded and headed towards the doors but the moment she heard the door closing behind Cole, she turned around and came straight to the tapestry. It was very old and looked vaguely familiar and Nicole even tried to remember if she saw something similar in the British Museum. The tapestry was an image of the ancient castle the name of which was weaved at the top. But with time the letters became very vague. Nicole levitated and tried to read the name. With her fingers she touched several letters and suddenly the tapestry disappeared and opened a spiral staircase. From a total shock Nicole almost fell down to the floor. She hesitated for a moment, vague images flickering in her mind and then stepped on the first step. The staircase immediately started to move upwards and soon Nicole found herself in a beautiful light studio built completely from wood with a front wall consisting from one massive window. The room was a mixture of a library, museum and a chapel. One side was occupied by a large altar, side walls were covered with bookshelves with beautiful paintings hanging between them. In the middle there was a comfortable chair, a couch and a large table. The young woman frowned slightly vague images coming back to her. She scanned the room again looking at the paintings and books. She had a feeling that she's been in this room before. It was like walking into an old dream. Following some inner intuition she touched the panel under the table. The hidden draw opened and she saw a big folder buried under different pieces of parchment. She pulled it out and opened. It was full with charcoal drawings. They were absolutely beautiful, made with filigree skill. And suddenly the vague images became more vivid and Nicole saw Cole sitting in the chair, his hand moving over the piece of carton.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
The cold voice made Nicole jump. She turned around and saw Cole standing in the doorway his blue eyes regarding her with cool annoyance.  
  
"I..." she hesitated for a moment. "I was trying to read the name of the castle on the tapestry and the staircase just opened."  
  
"And you considered it as an invitation," he shot sarcastically.  
  
Nicole blushed but then glared at him, "Well, you lied to me."  
  
Now it was Cole's turn to feel guilty. He was still deciding what to say when Nicole closed the folder and said in an angry voice, "OK, I am sorry I wondered in without an invitation. I just thought that we did not have to keep secrets from each other. I apologise, I was wrong. If you value your privacy so high, that's fine by me." She turned to the door.  
  
No," Cole caught her arm. "I...It's just that nobody knows about this place. It's completely shielded by magic protection. I created it myself. Even if somebody found out about it they would not be able to open it. The entrance is protected not by magic but by code. The letters on the tapestry have to be touched in precise order, otherwise the entrance would not open. And if you try to shimmer on the staircase you would be thrown into a different dimension. It's amazing that you managed to walk in. It must be because of our telepathic accident. It was probably imprinted in your subconscious." He sighed and continued, "I am sorry I did not tell you about this place. It's old habits."  
  
Slight resentment was still lingering in Nicole and if the memories of last night were less fresh she probably would have let it out. But after coming so close to losing Cole she did not want to waste time fighting with him so she suppressed her feeling of hurt and asked, "Is this your hiding place?"  
  
"Among other things," he answered, "The whole house is safe. Nobody if they don't carry Belthor clan blood will be able to get in unless one of the family members brings him or her over. Even if we get married you won't be able to come in unless we have a child together. But when my mother "died" it's somehow did not seem enough. So I created this place. It's completely invisible to others. So I could use it if something went wrong."  
  
Nicole's attention returned to the folder with drawings. "These are yours?" she pointed at it half stating the fact half asking for confirmation.  
  
"Yeah," he answered looking uncomfortably.  
  
The images flashing in Nicole's conscious were replaced by a wave of feelings. She suddenly realised how lonely must have Cole Turner been in the past thirty years hiding his humanity deep down. "They are beautiful," she said quietly. "You have a real talent."  
  
Cole shrugged his shoulders, "Well, it's not something I ever going to advertise or even admit doing."  
  
She smiled at him and wrapped her hands around his shoulders. "Will you make one for me?" she asked shyly looking him into the face.  
  
The pair of blue eyes stared at her intensely and a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. "I can't say no to you, you know that."  
  
"But do you want to?" she murmured teasingly.  
  
"God forbid," he answered mockingly, "I am not suicidal to answer that." And before she could burn him into ashes with her glare continued, "You are the model any artist would dream about," he pause and added quietly, "and a fiancé any man would die for."  
  
All morning Leo was pretending to be asleep so that Piper and her sisters would leave him alone. In the meantime he was feverishly thinking about what he could do to stop them from going after Cole. By eleven o'clock the whitelighter was out of ideas, pissed off with the whole world and convinced that without the help from Cole and Nicole he would not be able to send the Charmed Once off track. So he got up and after quick breakfast announced that he was going to go and see the Elders. He orbed out but instead of the Elders realm he materialized in the Penthouse. To his disappointment it was empty. Next stop was Schwarzlight Manor but after banging on the door for ten minutes he had to resign to the fact that they were not there as well. After that he sneaked back into the Manor and searched through Piper's address book knowing full well that it would still contain Cole's cell phone number. Then he orbed back to the Penthouse and used the phone to call Cole. But his cell was off. Leo cursed, where were these two? He checked the answering machine and figure out that the half demon was not home for the last thirty six hours. There was only one more place where Leo could search for them and the whitelighter did not really cherish the idea of going to the Underworld. He sighed and looked around the Penthouse. He never liked the place. It was too posh for his taste and looked too lifeless. But he had to admit that since Nicole Berg moved in the Penthouse became much more homey. Leo shook his head. He did not have time to think about interior of Cole Turner's apartment. He knew his charges well enough to know that if he was not fast they would go after Cole without waiting for the Elder's approval. Leo sighed and orbed into the Underworld chamber he was last night. It was completely empty and the whitelighter cursed again. Where was he supposed to look?  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" he heard a female voice behind him.  
  
He swirled around and saw the dark haired woman who last night pushed him towards the altar. "I am looking for Cole Turner and Nicole Berg," he answered curtly. "Do you know where they are?"  
  
The woman regarded him coolly, a strange expression on her face. "You are the Charmed One's whitelighter," she asked but Leo was convinced that she did not need his answer.  
  
"I am," he confirmed and not able to contain his curiosity and also resentment of her arrogant attitude asked, "and who are you?"  
  
The woman smiled mischievously, "My name is Belthora or if you prefer Elizabeth Turner. Belthazor is my son."  
  
The whitelighter was stunned and stared at the demoness opened mouthed. His mind all over sudden becoming clear. This dark hair, these sarcastic smile and arrogant attitude- they were indeed mother and son. He must have been blind not to notice their resemblance earlier.  
  
The demoness fully enjoyed the effect of her words and when Leo stopped gapping at her she knew that he was ready to answer her questions.  
  
"Belthazor and Nicole are not here," she said. "What do you want from them?"  
  
Leo hesitated, "I can't tell you," he finally said.  
  
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Well, then I can't help you."  
  
"You don't understand," he cried out. "It's important. I need to see them as soon as possible."  
  
The demoness fixed him with a hard stare. "What's going on?" she demanded and before Leo could say anything added, "And don't say you can't tell me. I am involved in the whole thing as much as you if not more. And I also don't trust you for a minute so unless you tell me I won't help you to find them."  
  
Leo sighed, "The witches know that Cole has retrieved the Grimoire and they think that he wants to become the Source. They are going after Cole. I need to speak to him and Nicole to find a way to divert their attention."  
  
Elizabeth eyes became incredibly alert and when she spoke up her voice reminded Leo a steel knife, "And by the witches you mean the Charmed Ones?"  
  
The whitelighter nodded and immediately regretted it. The demoness' eyes flashed with anger and she hissed through clenched teeth, "What they have nothing better to do in their miserable lives than to go after my son?"  
  
"Hey," Leo exclaimed offended. "They are witches, fighting evil is their job."  
  
A bitter sarcastic smile twisted Elizabeth' mouth, "Don't tell me about evil. They killed a defenceless mortal after leaving him at the mercy of the Source." She was about to add something else but restrained herself.  
  
"Go to the Penthouse and wait for me there," she ordered, "I'll find Belthazor." With these words she shimmered out.  
  
Cole and Nicole were enjoying their very late breakfast when they heard a knock on the door. The half demon immediately became alert.  
  
"Belthazor, it's me," they heard the voice of his mother. "I am sorry to disturb you but I have to talk to you. It's important."  
  
Cole and Nicole exchanged unhappy glances and shuffled to the door. Elizabeth stood on the porch. "Sorry," she said quickly, "I know you hoped for some peace and quiet. But Wyatt is looking for you. The Charmed Ones know that you retrieved the Grimoire and they are going after you thinking you want to become the next Source. Wyatte is absolutely lost at what to do. He came looking for you to the Underworld. I told him to wait for you in the Penthouse."  
  
"Damn," Nicole cursed. "How the hell did they find out? I thought we were shielding our activities."  
  
"We were," Cole ran his hand through his hair. "But Phoebe must have gotten a premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire. The book is too powerful evil to be concealed."  
  
"We should go and speak to Wyatt," Elizabeth suggested. "See what exactly happened and decide what to do."  
  
The young Lugels nodded in agreement and the three of them shimmered out.  
  
Leo was pacing the living for the opteens time when he heard the sound of the shimmer. "Finally," he cried out. "I thought you would never come." He stopped midsentence when he saw the grumpy look the two Lugels gave him.  
  
Cole decided to cut to the chase, "Did Phoebe get the premonition of me retrieving the Grimoire?" he asked.  
  
Leo nodded, "Yeah, but just of this moment. Nothing else."  
  
"And she thinks that I did it to become the Source?" Cole asked sarcastically.  
  
"Well, it's very close to the truth," Leo retorted. "Anyway," he added quickly. "I convinced them to wait until I have spoken to the Elders. That's where they think I am at the moment. And you know yourself that if I'll take too long they would just go ahead."  
  
Cole's lips twisted into a wry smile, "Of course. The jury has already spoken. The all knowing Charmed Ones will proceed with the sentence."  
  
"What do you worry so much? You are invincible anyway. So they can't harm you," Leo snarled.  
  
Cole was about to retort, but Nicole stepped between the two of them preventing the argument from going any further, "Enough," she said. "We are not here to discuss the Charmed Ones. They might not be able to harm Cole, but they certainly can make our task much more difficult and this includes you, Leo. We need to somehow divert their attention to something else."  
  
"Good luck with that," Cole muttered. "If the Halliwells set their minds on something they would not stop until they finish their job. Trust me, I am speaking from experience here. It's easier to divert a train in the tunnel than make a Halliwell change her mind."  
  
Leo did not particularly like his ex brother-in-law words but he had to admit that he was right. Elizabeth who stayed silent so far raised her voice, "Then we have two options here, first to make the Charmed Ones powerless and second to create a diversion."  
  
"What do you mean by powerless?" Leo asked suspiciously.  
  
The demoness rolled her eyes, "Come down, I don't mean to kill them," she said ironically, "all I am suggesting, if we keep them busy for a while, mix their powers or strip them or something along these lines, then they will be too busy to do anything."  
  
"I don't think it's such a great idea," Leo protested. "They attract a lot of demonic attention and have to be able to defend themselves plus if something goes wrong with their powers the Elders would definitely find out and I don't want them on my back."  
  
"Well, then we have to come out with the diversion," Elizabeth added, "though I have not idea what it could be."  
  
She gave the rest of the group a questioning look, and noticed a spark in Nicole's eyes. The latter smiled wickedly, "I think we can do much better," she said and when everybody looked at her continued, "What is the best way to win than to convince the other party that you've lost."  
  
Confused looks were the answer to her suggestion. "What I mean," she explained, "if we convince the Charmed Ones that they've destroyed the Grimoire and this way messed up Cole's plans, then they would think that they had won and leave us alone."  
  
"But how do you want to do that?" Leo asked, "you told me yourself that the Grimoire cannot be destroyed."  
  
"But the copy of it could be," she answered, her eyes glimmering. "We create the copy of the book, you tell the Charmed Ones that the Elders deem the Grimoire to be the primary threat and want it destroyed. We let the Halliwells steal the book. And everything will return to normal. And you," she turned to Leo, "will look good to your charges and your bosses for helping prevent such a threat."  
  
Leo thought about it for a moment. It was indeed a good idea. It kept the Charmed Ones save and also made them think that they've prevented the new Source coming to power. "Where will you get the copy of the Grimoire?" he asked.  
  
"We'll just make it," Nicole answered, "don't worry it will look real."  
  
She suddenly cocked her head, which reminded Leo of himself when the Elders were calling for him.  
  
"I have to go," she announced exchanging looks with Cole. "And you Leo should go to the Elders first. Get them behind the plan and then talk to your charges."  
  
With these words she shimmered out followed by Cole and Elizabeth.  
  
Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures arrived together to the house, which was occupied by Nicole Berg. When they knocked it took a few minutes before the young woman opened the door. Her face expressed slight surprise, "Father? Uncle Henry? What are you two doing here, together?"  
  
The French warlock squirmed uncomfortably. "We came to talk to you, Nicole. It's very important."  
  
She motioned them inside. When they all set down in the living room, Henry Karenian cleared his throat and started.  
  
"Nicole, I am sure you know more than us about the prophecy you mother was talking about."  
  
The young woman nodded her face becoming very sober.  
  
"Well, it looks like that this prophecy is about to come true," Henry continued. "We've been approached by the demonic fraction of the Underworld. They offered us a deal, if we support their candidate then one of the members of our coven can marry her son and therefore secure that the next Source will be half warlock. It sounds very similar to the prophecy Eliza was talking about. And since you are the offspring of the two most powerful covens it makes you a perfect candidate to become the Princess of the Underworld."  
  
The green eyes regarded him coolly and the warlock fell silent. Phillip des Noures took his turn to continue, "Look, Nicole, we would not pressurize you to accept this proposition. But your mother was talking about it and we wanted you to know about it. I will tell you that it would be a great chance for warlocks. Though we are the largest fraction of the Underworld, we are not the most powerful and even if we get a warlock to be the next Source he would have a tough time keeping his throne. So this offer has its pluses. Beside this marriage will bring you to the top of the Underworld hierarchy, I am not saying it's going to be easy because demons always consider us warlocks a lower class of magic. But being married to a demon will give you a perfect opportunity to infiltrate the demonic fractions and also bring your child faithful to our covens."  
  
He was ready to go on but Nicole interrupted him, "You don't have to convince me. My mother talked about this prophecy a lot. I know all the pros and cons. And I will do it."  
  
Both warlocks looked at her wide eyed. "You will do it?" Karenian repeated.  
  
"Yeah," Nicole confirmed, "Look, for you this prophecy is all new, but my mother was talking about it for the last two years. And I believe her, she's never lied to me. I knew this prophecy would come true, maybe it's a bit earlier than I thought but it does not matter. I spent too much of my life being nobody. Now I have a great chance to change it. So I will take it. You can tell your demons that you accept the offer." 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"Are we ready to go?" Piper asked her sisters and Leo who were all standing in the attic.  
  
"As ready as we will ever be," Phoebe muttered. "I hate it that we have to go to the Underworld. It would be much easier to vanquish Cole in the Penthouse. Wouldn't be the first time either."  
  
Leo heaved a sigh and Piper decided to support her husband. "Phoebe, this time it's different. Cole is invincible now. The Elders are right that if we destroy the Grimoire we will ruin his plans and damage Cole's reputation with the other demons. And here we actually have a good chance of succeeding."  
  
The middle Halliwell just sighed. "I know Piper, but the last time I was in the Underworld I lost my baby. It's difficult for me to go back there."  
  
Piper gave her sister a comforting hug, "I know, honey, I know it is very difficult for you. But we'll try to be quick. We are well prepared with the potions, which Paige prepared and the intelligence from the Elders. Hopefully most of the demons will be at this gathering," Piper scowled disgustedly as if she's just stepped on a cockroach, "and this should make our task much easier."  
  
Phoebe nodded and Paige who was impatiently shifting from one foot to another pulled a list of paper from her pocket. "Right," she said, "let's check everything once again. Potions?"  
  
"One from Belthazor's flesh if there are any members of the Brotherhood still left, the power stripping one, the invisibility one and the general vanquishing one."  
  
"Athames?" Paige called out.  
  
Phoebe just pulled the top of the handle from her pocket.  
  
"I have the scrying crystal and the spell right here," the youngest witched patted her pocket. "Now Leo?" she looked questioningly at her brother-in- law.  
  
The whitelighter who seemed to be deep in his thoughts perked up, "I am going to take the Grimoire and immediately orb back to the Manor."  
  
"Correct," Paige smiled triumphantly. "Now let's go and kick some demon ass."  
  
When they orbed into the Underworld Phoebe immediately assumed the fighting stance and Piper had her hands ready to freeze or explode anything, which could be a threat. However, there was nobody around and the Charmed Ones were able to proceed without interruptions. Paige retrieved the crystal and the sisters chanted a short spell. The crystal glowed in a faint blue colour and floated out of the corner where they were hiding. The Charmed Ones followed it ready to fight back an attack at every step they took. But the tunnels were completely empty and they were able to follow the floating crystal without interruptions. The tunnel took several turns and Paige who was walking first was glad that they did not have to remember the way back. They approached another turn and according to the established routine Paige picked out first. She immediately moved back.  
  
"I think we have arrived," she whispered. "There are two guards in front of this cavern and the tunnel stops here."  
  
"Fine," Piper raised her hands, "Me and Phoebe go first and try to knock them out. You two follow us."  
  
Paige glared at her, but the oldest Charmed One ignored it. Phoebe and her exchanged glances and jumped forward from behind the corner. To her surprise Piper could not freeze the guard but both demons were so shocked by the sudden appearance of the witches that she managed to blow one up. The second formed an energy ball in his hand but Phoebe levitated and kicked him into the jaw sending him flying into the wall and giving Paige a chance to throw a vanquishing potion at him. The Charmed One remained in the fighting stance ready for anybody who might be attracted by the noise of the fight. However, no one came and three sisters relaxed slightly. The first hurdle was taken. Paige had enough of standing behind her sisters back. She pulled four bottles of potions from her pocket and handed them to the rest of the group. She gulped her portion, grabbed Phoebe's arm and orbed into the cavern immediately followed by Piper and Leo. The sight that greeted them was bad enough. The Grimoire laid on the alter on one side of the cavern with two guards standing on opposite side of it and four further guards stood in each corner of the room. The one minus of invisibility potion was that not only the guards could not see the Halliwells but the sisters could not see each other either. So they only could rely on the plan they developed beforehand. Piper took a deep breath and raised her hands towards the demon standing to the left of the Grimoire. He exploded into a million pieces. Phoebe decided to use the surprise factor to her advantage and immediately levitated ready to kick the other guard. While Paige orbed in front of the demon who still stood in the corner and threw a potion making him turn into ashes. She immediately turned around and realised that both her sisters were perfectly visible now. The potion must have stopped working. The remaining guards finally recovered enough and three energy balls were sent into each sister. Phoebe levitated to avoid hers, while Piper did not even move: the energy ball just dissolved the moment it touched her. Paige called for hers and threw it back to the demon who cried and disappeared in flames. The other two demons went on the offensive no matter that they were now outnumbered but a well placed kick from Phoebe sent one of them into a knockout and Piper managed to freeze the other one. The sisters joined hands and red out a spell to finish them off. The Charmed Ones breathed out in relief.  
  
"This was way too easy," Paige muttered.  
  
"You call that easy?" Phoebe asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah," Paige replied. "Come on we are dealing with Cole here, he is the sneakiest bastard I've ever met. So don't tell me that 6 guards is all he was going to come up with."  
  
"You are forgetting, Paige," Piper reminded her sister, "that Cole does not know that we have found out about his little plan."  
  
The youngest witch just smiled wryly, "Piper, don't be so naïve, Cole knows that we are keeping an eye on him, he knows that Phoebe gets premonitions and the fact that she was not able to pick up on anything else means that he's covering his tracks. Grimoire was just a slip from his side. But you should know our dear ex brother-in-law well enough to understand that he would not leave anything to chance."  
  
"Paige, do you have anything constructive to say or you're just working part time as a Cassandra?" Leo snapped finally. "Six guards is not exactly "leaving it to chance". And I suggest that we take what we came for and get the hell out of here. I don't fancy being here when Cole shows up with a group of his allies to showcase the Grimoire to them."  
  
"Fine," Paige muttered, "Jeez, don't be so uptight. All you and your Elders are doing lately is being scared of Cole. What's wrong with you?"  
  
The whitelighter did not bother to answer and headed straight to the book.  
  
In the meantime Cole was not having a great time. He was standing not far from his mother trying really hard to concentrate on the conversation with two high profile shape shifting demons. The gathering was getting on the way, most guests had already arrived and the large chamber was full of people. The rumours of the upcoming political changes had spread with the speed of lightening and the Underworld was buzzing. The world of evil was anticipating a new leader and the increased activity that his arrival would bring. Such parties were the places to gather the latest news and gossips, to meet rich and powerful of the Underworld and to find allies. Cole knew that it was an important evening for all of them. It was practically a coronation of Elizabeth as the new Source. The inauguration ceremony was just a formality. In reality today the Underworld would be presented with its new leader and her Council. And today the union with the warlocks would be announced and hence his upcoming marriage to Nicole. The half demon discretely shot a glance at the entrance. The warlocks still were not here and Nicole was coming with them. He knew perfectly well that by arrangement between his mother and warlock's leaders they would be arriving slightly late but this knowledge could not prevent him from being worried about Nicole. He hated when she was away from him, hated the fact that she was not invincible and it drove him mad when he could not be there to protect her. And during last week it happened way too often. Since the warlocks announced their agreement to the deal the preparation for the inauguration of the new Source went ahead full speed. And though Elizabeth did most of the work Cole still had to attend a lot of meetings, shimmer from Egypt to Russia and persuade some especially stubborn mail chauvinist that the female Source was indeed a good idea.  
  
On the other hand Nicole spent a lot of time getting acquainted and then ordaining into the warlock's covens and also attending numerous negotiating meeting between different covens. It all resulted in Cole and Nicole spending a lot of time apart. And even during the rare moments together they were working on creating a copy of Grimoire and synchronizing their actions with Leo. Today was show time. Everything they have been working for the last 3 months should come to fruition in the next few hours. So far things were going well. The Charmed Ones had gotten pass the demonic dummies. Now Cole was waiting for them to get out of there. Then at least this part would be done and dusted and Leo could take it from there.  
  
"Is that it?" Paige asked Phoebe and Leo. The four of them were standing around the pedestal looking at the black book lying on it. Phoebe was very pale, memories of the Cole's coronation ceremony flashing through her head. She bit her lip and nodded.  
  
Leo decided that he waited long enough and picked up the book, "Okay," he said, "Let's get out of here."  
  
"First open it." Paige demanded.  
  
Leo rolled his eyes. "Come on Paige. We can do it in the Manor."  
  
"No," the youngest witch was determined. "I want to make sure we have what we came for." Leo was about to object but she interrupted him, "Leo, we are wasting more time talking about it."  
  
The whitelighter sighed in defeat and opened the book. The Charmed Ones peeped out from behind his shoulder. They were staring at the long inscription, which neither of them could understand. Phoebe gasped and took a step back, "This is the coronation of the Source. I remember this page," she said in a choked voice.  
  
"Let's get out of here," Piper ordered.  
  
"Not so fast, witches," the cold voice made them jump. The Charmed Ones swirled around and saw three demons standing at the entrance of the cavern.  
  
"Leo, get out of here," Piper yelled. The whitelighter stood still for a moment but an energy ball forced him to orb out. Paige grabbed her sisters' hands and was ready to orb after him but a young demon dressed in an impeccable black suit flung his hand forward and three witches went flying into the walls. Fortunately the blow was not that hard and they were immediately on their feet but still it was not fast enough. Three well aimed energy balls flew towards the sisters. At the last moment Piper disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs. In an outrageous jump, which surprised her, Phoebe managed to reach her youngest sister and the moment their hands touched Paige orbed out. The young demon mattered something under his breath and three sisters felt as if some invisible force was pulling them back and instead of reappearing under the safe roof of the manor they found themselves in the tunnel outside the cavern.  
  
"Whitelighters!" they heard a surprised yell and found themselves in front of the group dressed in black hooded robes.  
  
"Kill them," the younger demon shouted shimmering in behind the Charmed Ones ready to execute his own orders.  
  
"Paige," Phoebe shouted, "orb us out of here."  
  
"I am trying," the younger witch hissed grabbing her sister's hands but her efforts were in vain. They were trapped between two enemy groups.  
  
"This is the end," Phoebe thought, "we will not get out of this alive."  
  
Ten minutes earlier Nicole was walking in front of a group of warlocks next to her father and uncle. Suddenly the sound of an alarm hit her mind. The Charmed Ones were being attacked. The young woman mentally cursed. It was so much not what they needed, not tonight. They were barely coping even without extra complication. She concentrated her energy and managed to give the sisters' powers an extra boost. But it was short lived. The Charmed Ones were out of the cavern but not out of danger. Nicole saw the sisters reappearing straight under her feet followed closely by Larent and his brothers. The young Lugels focused her powers on creating a barrier around the Halliwells. She could feel the magic forces banging into it from both sides and knew that she would not be able to maintain it for long. It would have been much easier to just create a complete barrier around the sisters but it could make others suspicious, so Nicole had to weaken each attack but only so far that it could not harm anyone. And this was consuming a lot of her own powers. Just as she thought she would not be able to hold it any longer Cole blurred in between the Charmed Ones and Larent's group.  
  
Phoebe's heart flared with hope and she tried to catch her ex-husband's eyes. But he did not look at her. Cole was focusing his powers on establishing a link with Nicole. In a split second he took control over the barrier between Larent and the Charmed Ones leaving Nicole to maintain the separation between warlocks and the Halliwell sisters.  
  
Phoebe could see how Cole stared at the hooded figure, which stood in front of the other group. Then an energy ball formed in his hand and he sent it flying towards his former family. The others followed his suit and Phoebe did not have time to look at Cole anymore. All three sisters were busy calling, diving, freezing and levitating. They also kicked, exploded and orbed energy ball towards their enemies.  
  
In the middle of this mess another swirl of blue lights appeared between the sisters.  
  
"Hold on," Leo yelled and the four of them disappeared from the Underworld.  
  
"This bastard whitelighter," Larent yelled. "He helped them escape and he stole the Grimoire."  
  
"What?" Henry Karenian threw his hood away, "these witches stole the Grimoire?"  
  
"Yes," Larent hissed through clenched teeth, "I saw it with my own eyes. We need to go after them." He was ready to shimmer away when Cole stopped him.  
  
"There is no need to go anywhere," he said calmly and looking at outraged expression on Larent's face added. "They do not have the real Grimoire. All they have is a fake book. I knew they were going to try to steal it and replaced the real book with a dummy. This way the Charmed Ones will think they have destroyed the Grimoire and get off our backs."  
  
Larent had calm down a bit but asked suspiciously, "Why did not you just kill the Charmed Ones? Set a trap on them? Would solve our problems once and for all."  
  
Cole smiled slightly condescendingly, "Because it's not that easy. The oldest Charmed One is carrying a very powerful child. You saw here yourself that no matter how much we tried we could not harm them. The baby gives her a power of deflection and a very strong one." The half demon turned to the warlock delegation. "I am glad you could make it," he said greeting them, "we've been waiting for you. I'll show you the way." And with these words he turned around and led the rest of the groups to the gathering chamber.  
  
"That was close," Piper sighed, plopping onto a chair. "For a moment I thought we were stuffed."  
  
"So did I," Phoebe echoed her words. "I still can't believe that we escaped from there unharmed. And it's all thanks to you, Leo," she turned to her brother-in-law. "If it was not for you, we would not be able to get out of there."  
  
"Yeah," Paige added, "how did you manage? I could not orb at all."  
  
The whitelighter shrugged his shoulders. He could not tell his family that Cole and Nicole channelled their powers into him giving him an amazing boost to pass through the barrier that was created by warlocks and demons. "It's probably because you are just half whitelighter," he said quietly.  
  
Paige frowned, "Maybe."  
  
"Well, the important thing is that you managed," Piper added dryly. "Since no one else was going to come to our rescue." She shot Phoebe a weary look and explained to her husband, "Cole was there, happily sending energy balls at us. How he missed is a real mystery to me!"  
  
Phoebe stiffened. Cole's behaviour stunned her deep. No matter what she said about Cole, she always believed that he would never use his powers against her. And today she had a painful lesson that she was wrong. She remembered Cole's eyes: cold and distant, he never looked at her, even when sending fireballs her way, his gaze went through her as if she was transparent.  
  
Piper's voice snapped her out of her gloomy thoughts, "Well, at least now we know for sure where we stand with Cole. And that he will kill us without mercy if he has a chance."  
  
Leo winced inwardly. He had to really bite his tongue not to say anything. Instead he decided to return their attention to the Grimoire. "I think we should not relax as yet," he told his charges. "They know we have the book, so we should destroy it as soon as possible. I don't fancy going to the Underworld again."  
  
The Charmed Ones nodded and proceeded with reading the spell, which Leo, Nicole and Cole had creatively co-written.  
  
The arrival of the warlocks coven had attracted a lot of attention. It was the first time since the old Source had been vanquished that all the fractions of the Underworld got together. Cole stood just behind his mother who was greeting Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures. When it was Nicole's turn to be introduced Cole almost forgot to breathe. And he was not the only one. The young woman looked stunning. She wore a beautiful silk gown with open shoulders and back. The shining black material of the dress emphasized her smooth fair skin. Contrast to the tight top the skirt of the dress was very long and wide. It would have completely covered her legs if not for a multiple slits, which were cut quite high and linked together by the see-through silvery chiffon. A black pearl necklace adorned her neck and was accompanied by the hair net made from the similar but smaller pearls. Nicole looked gorgeous but even more important she looked like a real heir of the powerful warlock covens. Her head was lifted arrogantly, her eyes blasted green fire and her smile was as cold as ice.  
  
Elizabeth smiled contently. She was not mistaken in this girl. She would make a perfect wife to Belthazor and would not embarrass the Belthor clan. The demoness was very pleased with this evening. Anybody who was anybody in the Underworld was there. And it meant that she was closer to her aim than ever before. Her heart shuddered slightly when she thought about the prophecy she heard so many years before and the danger was getting closer. If only she could safe her son from it! But the only thing in her power was to fulfil her destiny and hope that his would turn out well. The demoness closed her eyes. She could not think about it. Not today, there was too much at stake. She opened her eyes and raised her hand attracting attention of her guests. The room quickly fell into complete silence. The rich and powerful of the Underworld were ready to hear the details of the rumours, which were brewing for weeks.  
  
"My guests," Elizabeth announced her voice ringing with power. "I am glad to see you all here. For too long we did not have anything to celebrate, the Underworld was in confusion and anarchy. We were losing our allies and too many battles. Now it's time to change that, to regain what we lost and to start the new era in the history of Evil. The past year has weakened us in numbers but it has definitely made us wiser. And wisdom is the Mother of all powers. We always praised ourselves as the smart ones. Well, now it's time to show that we are. Tonight I want to announcement the arrival of the new age to the Underworld - the age of power, unity and success. From now on the order will be restored and there will be no infighting among the creatures of evil. And I swear to you that I will serve this goal my whole life and fight to the end to see the Underworld restored to its former glory." The crowd roared and applauded.  
  
Cole knew perfectly well what he was supposed to do. He kneeled in front of Elizabeth followed by the members of her Council. "Long live the Source," Cole's voice echoed under the vault of the chamber. "Long live Belthora," the Council repeated. It was a crucial moment and Cole kept feverishly screening the room for any sign of a rebellion. But the work of the last weeks paid off. The Underworld was welcoming its new Source. The warlocks were the first to kneel in front of the demoness and one by one the guests followed their example in swearing their loyalty to Elizabeth. She looked around with triumphant smile. She did it. The throne was hers. She was going to become the first female Source ever. That was a great achievement indeed, a great honour for her clan. Today was the day of her triumph, the triumph of their clan. Elizabeth took a deep breath, "Thank you, my guests," she said in a regal voice. "You loyalty would not be forgotten. Now please rise. I have one more announcement to make." She shot Cole a look and the half demon moved closer so he stood just slightly behind her. With the corner of his eye he saw Nicole stepping forward so she was standing on the other side of Elizabeth. The demoness looked around the crowd making sure that everybody was listening. "As a sign of the changes I was talking about earlier I would like to announce the upcoming marriage of my son Belthazor and the offspring of two powerful covens Nicole des Noures- Karenian." She took Cole's and Nicole's hands and brought them together. "Let this union mark the new era of the Underworld."  
  
This announcement caused a bit more of a surprise. For the past weeks the Underworld was filled with rumours that Belthora struck the deal with the warlock's covens but nobody knew how she managed to get them on her side. Now the reason was out in the open. With a sinking heart Nicole was waiting for the reaction. The round of applause made her relax slightly. The most dangerous moment had passed. Suddenly she was hit by a wave of very strong feelings, which could only be described as female jealousy. She tried to pinpoint this feeling and saw a beautiful red headed demoness staring at her with hateful eyes. Her face looked familiar to Nicole and just a pick in the red head's mind gave her more details than she wished. This was indeed an old girlfriend of Cole's. Nicole shot the half demon an amused smile, which quickly disappeared when she found that there were a lot more women in this room who shared red head's feelings for her and unfortunately for Cole as well.  
  
The half demon felt a sharp pain from Nicole's fingernails digging into his palm. He shot her a surprised look, "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed in a low voice so that only she could hear him.  
  
Her eyes flashed at him so furiously that Cole got an immediate proof that looks could not kill because otherwise he would have been already dead.  
  
"I see you have a lot of close friends here," Nicole said in a poisonously sweet voice.  
  
Cole eyed her suspiciously, the young woman moved her eyes slightly and Cole following her gaze came face to face with the red headed demoness. He groaned silently. Medera!  
  
"It was twenty years ago," he muttered.  
  
"Oh," Nicole's lips were smiling brightly, but her eyes were blasting ice, "What a memory. Was she that special? Because considering the numbers on your list it would be really amazing if you remembered all of them."  
  
The half demon squirmed uncomfortably, "It's all in the past," he said trying to hide his frustratation.  
  
"Really? I think your friends think about it very differently," Nicole hissed acidly leaning closer to his ear, so that the rest of the crowd thought that they were enjoying a private moment.  
  
Cole wished he could hide in the nearest hole. He never seen Nicole so furious, "God, help me," he thought. And it seemed that his prayer was heard. Elizabeth raised her hand and spoke up interrupting the conversation and giving Cole a desperately needed break. "Now I want you to enjoy this evening," she announced, "We all earned a celebration."  
  
Everybody moved into the next room, which was fitted with numerous tables served with a delicious dinner. Cole and Nicole ended sitting opposite each other so during the whole dinner the half demon could not talk to her. Every once in a while he tried to catch her eyes but she avoided looking at him and pretended to be completely absorbed in the conversation with priest Corado and Phillip des Noures. Cole had to use all his self control to keep track of the conversation. He was thinking feverishly how to explain to Nicole that none of these women meant anything to him. He finally managed to catch Nicole's eyes and immediately wished that he did not. The dinner lasted for a long time and for Cole it felt like eternity.  
  
Nicole was sitting opposite him and had real problems suppressing the anger which was boiling inside her constantly threatening to spill over. She wanted to slap Cole in the face and scratch the eyes of all these bitches who were eyeing him with sultry eyes.  
  
Finally the dinner was over and the guests spread around the other rooms. Some of them stayed in the dining room drinking and talking. Others engaged in some strange card games with a large crowd watching the players and placing bets. In another room a group of younger demons was involved in a fighting competition using the low voltage energy balls and round ended athemes. The third room had some adult entertainment going on that could only be described as an orgy.  
  
Nicole who learnt enough about demonic parties to be weary of them and not enough to feel comfortable without Cole by her side decided to remain at the table talking to high priest Corado. Her attempts to avoid talking to him made Cole feel frustrated. The half demon ran his had through the hair and then turned on his hills and ordered a large portion of scotch. He was about to enjoy his drink when a light tap on his shoulder made him swirl round hoping and dreading that it was Nicole.  
  
"Belthazor," the red headed demoness shot him a seductive smile, "Good to see you again. I thought you would never return to the Underworld."  
  
"Medera," Cole greeted her coldly taking a few steps to increase the space between himself and his ex.  
  
The demoness smiled at him innocently, "I did not know you were looking for a wife," she said moving loser to him and running her finger on his biceps. "Otherwise I would have volunteered. How do you think my chances would be?"  
  
The half demon removed her hand from his shoulder, "Not very high," he said distantly hoping that Nicole did not see the whole thing.  
  
"You think?" Medera leaned forward giving him a full view of her subtle cleavage, "Come on, Belthazor, don't be such a prude. Are you so scared of your warlock bride? She looks like an ice queen. Tell me, does she make you warm in bed as I used to?" Cole glared at the red head desperately fighting the desire to incinerate her on the spot.  
  
"Listen to me, Medera," he said sternly. "I will warn you just this once. I am getting married and God help you if you ever try to approach me again or my fiancé for that matter. You don't know whom you are dealing with. So I suggest you find yourself another object of attention who would have at least some interest in what you have to offer."  
  
The demoness looked at him with hateful eyes. "You used to have a lot of interest in what I had to offer," she hissed, "until you changed and became soft. I heard you fell in love with a witch and she left you for a mortal."  
  
Cole regarded the red head with an icy glare, "If I were you, Medera," Cole whispered softly, but the dangerous edge in his voice made the demoness take a step back, "I would not try to test my softness. As to the fact I changed, that's true. My taste has improved greatly. I don't do sluts anymore." With these words he turned around and his eyes met Nicole's. She looked at him, her eyes full of hurt and anger. The half demon heaved a frustrated sigh and when somebody took him by the hand swirled around ready to incinerate whomever it was. His eyes met the dark eyes of his mother. She silently ordered him to follow her and headed straight to the table where Nicole was sitting with Henry Karenian.  
  
"Henry," Elizabeth shot a charming smile at the warlock, "would you like to join me in a game of cards. And we let the young people to enjoy themselves."  
  
The warlock nodded and got up from his seat. Elizabeth followed him but a moment latter returned as if she forgot her purse. She seared the young couple with a commanding glare, "Whatever it is between you two, it's not the place and the time. So I suggest you both get a grip on your pride and sort it out." She gave them another pointed glare and left.  
  
The couple looked at each other uncomfortably. Cole ran his hand through his hair and suddenly grabbed Nicole's hand and pulled her towards the exit of the dinning room.  
  
"Where the hell you are going?" Nicole tried to pull her hand out of his grip.  
  
Cole just smiled wryly, "Do you want to discuss it here sweetheart? Because if you do, I am sure there will be lots of people here who would be very keen to see a scandal in the Source's family."  
  
Nicole gave him a dirty look but stopped trying to break loose from his grip. They went through many tunnels and finally ended up in a small cavern.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Nicole asked finally able to free her hand from his grip.  
  
"Because I figured that if you were going to slap me in the face it'd be better done without witnesses." Nicole glared at him and the half demon sighed, "Nicole, why are you so mad at me?"  
  
"And you have to ask?" she shot back.  
  
"But I told you it's all in the past," he uttered totally annoyed. "These women don't mean anything to me and never did."  
  
"Yeah, but it did not stop you from sleeping with them. Jeez Cole, you dated half of the female population of the Underworld. And it's not like these women are not interested in you any more! Don't tell me you did not notice the way they were looking at you. How do you expect me to feel about it?"  
  
"I don't know," he yelled, "Maybe you should feel sorry for them since you are the only one I am interested in."  
  
"Oh," Nicole rolled her eyes, "Don't give me that. You sent Mike Lindsay to work to Australia only because he asked me out for a drink without knowing that we were dating. Don't think I don't know about that." Her accusation made Cole squirm uncomfortably and Nicole continued, "It's fine for you to act on your jealousy but I have to stand and feel sorry for these demonic bitches while they are trying to get you into bed in front of my eyes. And I can't even vanquish them since our mission is to increase the population of demons not to halve it."  
  
The half demon heaved a frustrated sigh, "What do you want me to do?" he shot angrily. "I can't change my past. It's a fact of life that I am almost ninety years older and during those years I was never exactly a saint. But it does not make my feelings for you any less. I want to be with you, I want to marry you and only you." He lifted his hands in defeat, "And I don't know what else to say to make you believe me. So here, maybe this will convince you." Cole put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which he handed to Nicole.  
  
The young woman had a good idea what was in this box. Her first instinct was to give it back and tell Cole that he was not going to buy his way out of this. But the intensity of his eyes made her change her mind. She opened the box and her eyes grew wide. As she expected it was a ring. But never in her life had she seen such a gorgeous piece of jewellery. The shinning gold band had a thin rectangular plate made from a solitaire emerald in the middle and three smaller diamond plates crossing around it. It looked like a magical snowflake.  
  
"It's beautiful," Nicole whispered. "I have never seen anything like that."  
  
"Well, it's not exactly from the jewellery store," Cole muttered, "I got it from the elves of Signa plain. I guess I wanted to get you something special. Since I have not really made you a traditional proposal and I was hoping that it would show you how I feel about you."  
  
Nicole was really touched by his words and she felt slightly guilty to lashing out at Cole. Her anger subsided and she explained in a low voice, "You've seen so much more in your life than I have. And I hate the fact that these women knew you for so much longer than me. Hell, people say that twenty years is a big age gap. Ours is ninety, you must get bored with me. And these demonesses have a lot more to offer."  
  
Her quiet confession cooled down Cole's anger, he took Nicole's hand in his, "But I am not interested in what they have to offer. They are cynical, arrogant, egoistic bitches. Why on Earth would I want any of them? I have you. You are gorgeous, smart, kind and you love me. You never stop surprising me and for sure I am never bored with you. I cannot imagine my life without you. And I won't let you get away from me. Even if I have to tie you to myself until you realize that you're the only one I want." Nicole looked at his eyes and saw little sparks twinkling in them.  
  
"I still want to slap you for sleeping with these women," she grumbled but a small smile was hiding in the corners of her mouth.  
  
He grinned back, "Well, you can always do that but first..." He took a ring from the box and place it on Nicole's finger. "Here. Now we are officially engaged and I hope you are going overlook my... uh... wild past considering my excellent taste in jewellery." The blue eyes stared at her with such innocence that Nicole could not suppress a smile.  
  
She shook her head and sighed mockingly, "You are such a..." she shook her head again unable to find a right word, "will always get what you want with any means possible."  
  
He grinned back at her, "Hey, I am a demon after all, creature with no morals. So any method is a good one as long as it works."  
  
Nicole ignored his comment and closed the space between them. "I don't care about your morals." Her eyes sparkled teasingly, "I'll have a whole life to work on them." 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
"Whitelighter Wyatt," Elder Arcan's usually serious face now looked even more solemn, "We summoned you to announce important news. Elder Simon has resigned his position of Head Elder. He felt that he wanted to spend his last years serving the good in a more...er... face to face way. He relinquished his powers and asked to be sent to the mortal realm as a priest and an empath. It is needless to say that his wish was granted."  
  
The Elder paused as if honouring the decision of his ex colleague and Leo had to work really hard to make his face look equally grave since it was a complete opposite of his true feelings. He also knew that it was not only him who was secretly celebrating this departure though maybe due to different reasons. Elder Simon was the most stubborn and conservative member of the whole Council. And that was saying a lot since all the Elders were not known to be the most open minded people. But Elder Simon managed to annoy not only the other whitelighters but the rest of the Council and not once or twice Leo was a witness of heated arguments and fights between him and some of the younger Elders.  
  
"Anyway," Elder Arcan continued and Leo snapped out of his thoughts, "We need a new Elder to join the Council and after discussing it we decided to offer this position to you. You showed yourself a great whitelighter during the last five years working with the Charmed Ones. And recently you proved your ability to think strategically with the whole Grimoire affair. So we feel that you deserved the honour of becoming the Elder."  
  
Leo fell speechless, their plan worked! After he tipped Cole and Nicole about Elder Simon being the most fanatical member of the Council determined to fight evil to the end, they used their mind manipulation skills to convince the old man to retire. Leo was impressed of how easy they achieved the result and a little scared because it showed him how powerful they were. But he still had doubts that they would be able to make him a new Elder and now it looked like they did not even have to do anything.  
  
The Council understood his silence differently and one of the younger Elders spoke up, "We know, Leo, that you have some personal commitments but we would like you to think about the bigger picture. With all the brewing going on in the Underworld your experience would be invaluable for the Council. And this is the best way for you to protect your family and your charges."  
  
The whitelighter lowered his head to hide the glimmer of triumph in his eyes. He thought about being away from Piper and not being there when their son was born. It would be incredibly difficult but if being away from them now was going to save his family in future than it was absolutely worth it. Leo lifted his head and faced the Council, "I want to thank the Council for this honour," he said firmly, "it means a lot to me." He paused and then continued, "I also would like to thank you for understanding that it's a difficult decision for me since it would mean leaving my family." The Elders eyes expressed concern and several of them shook their heads in defeat. Leo hold a long pause and then said calmly, "At the same time I know that my destiny is to serve the Powers to Be in any way they deem fit and therefore I accept your offer and swear that I would do my utter best serving the forces of Good as a member of the Elders Council."  
  
The sheer relief was obvious on the faces of the Elder's Council as they welcomed their new member. When the details of the move were discussed Leo orbed out to break the news to his family and to spend the last evening with them.  
  
He found Piper in their bedroom. She was taking a nap before dinner. He did not want to wake her up and just lied down on the bed looking at her peaceful face trying to memorize each line. He did not know how long they stayed like this. Piper stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She saw Leo's face just a few inches away and smiled at him. It was a long time since she woke up and he was next to her.  
  
"Hi," she greeted, "how long have you been here?"  
  
He smiled back at her, "Not very long," he said, "at least I did not notice, time just flew by as it always does when I am with you."  
  
Piper smiled at him warmly and moved closer so she could kiss him. They pulled away and she looked at her husband's eyes and immediately became alert. She knew him too well not to notice the sadness in his eyes.  
  
"Leo," Piper put her hand on his chest, "What's going on? What's wrong?"  
  
He hesitated for a moment but then decided to dive into the deep end. "Elder Simon has left the Council," he said quietly, "And they offered me to replace him."  
  
Piper's eyes widened as she worriedly searched her husband's face, "What did they say when you refused," she asked urgently, "did they clip your wings? Is that why you are so early?"  
  
Guilt shot through Leo's heart and his face reflected this feeling, "I did not refuse," he said quietly. "I accepted their proposal."  
  
She could not believe what she'd heard. She set up on the bed and stared at her husband in disbelief. "You accepted," she repeated slowly, "what do you mean you accepted? What about me, us?"  
  
Leo sighed, "I know it is difficult to accept Piper, but I have to do it. It's my destiny. I swore to serve the Powers to Be and now they require me to become the Elder. I can't refuse."  
  
"You can't refuse?" Piper yelled, "Oh, yes you can. We are a family Leo, we are expecting a child. That must mean something, even to Them." She looked up and then fixed him with a glare. "Now you get your butt up there and tell them that you are going to stay here."  
  
Leo shook his head, "I am really sorry, Piper. I can't do this, I have already promised."  
  
"But you can do this to me?" she shrieked, "After everything I've done for you. For years I've been a patient wife, living with your constant orbing out at any time of day and night to see your Elders and your charges, coping with not having a normal life. And now you are going to just leave me and our child so you can fulfil your bloody destiny?!"  
  
Her words hit Leo hard, it was painful to see how hurt she was and was even more painful to be unable to tell her the truth. "Piper, please," his eyes looked at her pleadingly, "try to understand, I am not leaving you. I love you more than ever and I love our baby. But I have to do this for your safety, for the safety of our baby and your sisters. I will be watching over you and our child every day and every minute. As an Elder I will be able to protect you much better than I can now. And one day, maybe, when the time is right I will be able to return to you. But in order for this times to come I need to go now and fulfil my destiny."  
  
He spoke with passion hoping that his words would reach her heart but he was mistaken. Piper seared him with a deadly glare and climbed out of bed. "Don't you dare talk about your destiny," she hissed angrily. "What about my destiny? Or the destiny of our child? What am I suppose to tell our baby? That dad dumped us to fulfil his destiny? Jeez Leo, what did you think before? You told me you wanted children. And now you are just going to turn your back to us and leave me to be a single mother?!"  
  
Her accusations were like arrows flying into his body and the stress of the last months spilled out. Leo lost control, "Do you think I like that?" he yelled, "Do you think that I enjoy not being here when my son is born? Not being able to see his first smile? Not being able to share this happiness with you? I will give my life to be able to stay, but I can't. I have to do this. I don't have a choice, Piper."  
  
"Or yes, you do," she shouted back, "Go to the Elders and tell them that you are not doing this. And if they clip your wings - fine. We'll manage without them. I will strip my powers and we can finally lead a normal life."  
  
Leo's shoulders sagged and he silently shook his head, "I can't do it, Piper," he whispered, "I just can't."  
  
Her brown eyes sparkled with anger, "Than it means you don't love me," she said in a steely voice, "At least not enough."  
  
Tears stood in Leo's eyes, "I love you more than the words could say," he said in a choked voice, "more than life itself. And that's why I have to go."  
  
The knock on the door interrupted them and Paige's head picked in, "I am sorry, guys," she said guiltily, "but you were yelling so loud that me and Phoebe heard everything."  
  
Phoebe's head appeared behind her, "Yes, and we think we deserve to be a part of this conversation, it concerns all of us."  
  
"How does it concern you?" Piper was not in the mood for sisterly moment, "is it your husband who's leaving you seven months pregnant so he can fulfil his destiny?"  
  
"He is our whitelighter," Paige answered," our lives depend on him so it concerns us if he's not going to be here."  
  
Leo raised his hand interrupting her, "You'll get a new whitelighter. It will be the first thing to be arranged. The Elders already have some candidates and tomorrow when I arrive there I will make the final choice."  
  
"Tomorrow," Piper repeated in disbelief, "you are going tomorrow?"  
  
Leo squirmed uncomfortably, "Yes, I am starting tomorrow morning."  
  
"For how long have you known?" Phoebe asked suspiciously.  
  
"I just found out an hour ago," he answered simply. "I came here to explain everything and spend the last night with Piper and you guys. We probably would not see each other for a while."  
  
A bitter laugh interrupted him, Piper's eyes sparkled furiously, her lips twisting into an angry smile, "How touching," she hissed, "you came to spend the last night with your wife. Maybe have some sex as well? I don't think Elders get a lot of that. But let me tell you, honey, I am not in the mood." She raised her hand and Leo exploded in a shower of blue swirls. He rematerialized on the same spot a minute later and looked at her in shock.  
  
"Piper..." he started.  
  
"Don't piper me," she yelled. "It won't help. Not now when you chose your destiny over me and our baby."  
  
"I am not choosing anything over you," he shouted back, "Don't you understand that leaving you tares me apart? I am doing this to safe you, to prevent horrible things from happening. I can't tell you what they are but can you please just trust me on this one?"  
  
She did not say anything and hope flared at Leo's heart. "Please Piper, just trust me," he repeated looking at her pleadingly.  
  
"What are those horrible things?" Paige piped in.  
  
Leo swirled around and shot angrily, "Paige, it's none of your business. Can you please just leave me and Piper alone?"  
  
"Don't lash out on my sister," Piper glared at her husband. "She had all the rights to ask this question. And I have all the rights to demand an answer."  
  
Leo shook his head, "I can't tell you," he said. "I am sorry."  
  
Piper snorted, "One of the Elders' secrets. I am so sick of it."  
  
"Come on, Leo," Phoebe urged. "You can tell us anything."  
  
Leo heaved a frustrated sigh, "I can't," he said shaking his head. "Can't you guys just trust me?"  
  
"Hey," Piper cried out, "Don't put this on us. You are the one who says he has to go and does not even want to tell us why."  
  
"But I told you I can't," he yelled totally frustrated. "If I could I would but it's not up to me. You are the most important thing in my life. I risked my life for you, I broke rules for you, I went against my beliefs for you. Don't you know me well enough to accept that I don't have a choice?"  
  
"There is always a choice, Leo." Piper answered coldly. "You are just not willing to take it."  
  
It was now his turn to stare at her in disbelief. He then turned around and saw Paige and Phoebe. They looked at him with accusing eyes and he realised that he was not going to get the understanding he was hoping for. Tiredness and despair hit him. He turned back to face Piper again, "I am sorry I hurt you," he said slowly, "God is my witness I have never meant to. You are my life, Piper, I love you with all my heart. But I have to do this so that all of us here have a future. In time you will be able to understand and, hopefully, forgive me." He looked at her, hope still flattering in his heart but there was nothing but sheer anger in her face.  
  
"Get out, Leo," she said coldly, "I don't want to see you ever again."  
  
The hope was squashed and his shoulders sagged in defeat. Leo lowered his head and orbed out. The moment the blue swirls died down Piper collapsed on the bed crying, her sisters rushing to comfort her.  
  
Leo orbed outside the Manor. He stayed there for a few moments to make sure that Piper and the baby were okay. Sitting on the pavement he waited till she fell asleep and then shot a long look at the manor before orbing away.  
  
The knock on the front door made Cole put his papers away. He went to the door hoping it was Nicole, though his mind told him that it was unlikely. She had her own keys and plus most of the times she did not use the door at all. He looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Leo standing in the doorway.  
  
"Hi," his voice sounded unusually flat and the way he looked reminded Cole of zombie he once had to fight.  
  
"Hi," Cole replied, "What's wrong?"  
  
Leo's lips twisted into a bitter smile, "I have been promoted," he said slowly, "I am now an Elder."  
  
"I see," the half demon shot him a weary look, "Piper did not take the news well."  
  
Bitter smile returned to Leo's face, "No, she did not."  
  
Cole nodded, "Do you want a drink?" he asked.  
  
Leo hesitated for a minute, "Is Nicole home?"  
  
"No," now it was Cole's turn to frown, "She had to go...um," he hesitated, "to meet some acquaintance of hers." He moved away allowing his unexpected guest to come in.  
  
Leo plopped into the comfortable chair and watched Cole pouring a generous dose of scotch into a whisky glass. "Thanks," the whitelighter took a large sip and grimaced not being used to such strong alcohol.  
  
Cole returned to his own chair and they sat in silence for a while. Leo was thinking about what unexpected twists the life could take. His own house was now off limits to him and he was sitting in the living room of the man whom he once considered to be his greatest enemy. Sitting opposite him Cole was desperately wishing that Nicole would come home. She was gone now for a while and he as always was worried. Earlier this evening she had to go to see her warlock relatives and Cole was called in into the meeting with the vampires, so he could not accompany her. Now he was impatiently waiting for Nicole to get back. Leo sighed and Cole snapped out of his thoughts. Leo looked so unhappy and lost that pity touched Cole's heart.  
  
"She'll come round to it, Leo," he said finally, "Just give her time."  
  
The whitelighter smiled sceptically, "You think so? It did not sound like she was ever going to forgive me."  
  
"It was a big shock for her," Cole explained patiently, "She is pregnant so her hormones are going haywire. When you tell her the truth she'll understand."  
  
"You sure?" Leo's voice was full of doubt. "Truth did not help you much with Phoebe." When he realised what he had just said, Leo chocked on his drink and quickly looked up at Cole expecting to see that distant blank look, which in Cole's case always indicated that he was angry.  
  
The half demon stiffened but then shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his scotch, "It's a different situation," he answered calmly.  
  
Leo looked up at him and the thoughts which were brooding in his head for the past months spilled out, "I am really sorry for what we did to you, Cole," he blurted out. "I wish I could turn back the time but I can't. And I am not asking you for forgiveness here. I just want you to know that I am very sorry and that if I ever can do something for you..." he paused unable to find the right words.  
  
Cole was taken aback by Leo's outburst. He never thought that anyone from the Halliwell household would ever even acknowledge that they were wrong; no matter apologise. He could see in Leo's eyes that this confession got a lot out of the whitelighter. The latter finished his drink in one gulp and got up.  
  
"Thanks for the drink," he said and added quietly, "and support."  
  
He headed to the door when Cole spoke up, "Don't think about it too much, Leo. What you've done is in the past. Present is much more important, you will need all your concentration to fulfil your task, don't let the guilt drug you down." He paused and added with a light smile. "Plus it all ended for the best at least for me."  
  
Leo looked at him in surprise a clear thought forming in his head. He would never be able to understand Cole Turner but would always envy and secretly admire him. Cole's eyes twinkled slightly and his lips twisted into a wry smile as if he had read Leo's thoughts. The half demon lifted his glass, "Good luck, Leo."  
  
The whitelighter nodded and disappeared in a swirl of blue lights. 


	11. Chapter 11

Hi there! I am back after a short break. Thank you all for reviews. Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
On Saturday morning Nicole woke up late. Cole was already up, a very unusual event since he had never been a morning person. The clock on the night stand told her that it was already 11. She stretched and stared at the ceiling trying to guess whether Cole would remember that today was her birthday. She hadn't told him and it had taken all of her self restrain to keep her mouth shut. It was probably very childish behaviour on her side but at the same time she really hoped that he would remember without a reminder from her. For example, she knew perfectly well when his birthday was from their telepathic memory exchange. In the middle of her musing the bedroom door opened and Cole walked in carrying a breakfast tray in his hands.  
  
"Morning, sleepyhead," he greeted, "I was not sure you were planning to get up so I decided to make breakfast hoping that the smell of food would wake you up." He placed the tray in front of her and bent down to kiss her.  
  
Nicole smiled, her eyes spotting a pink rose, which was decorating the tray. "That's very nice of you," she murmured eyeing the food with hungry eyes. "Especially considering the efforts you had to put in into getting out of bed before midday."  
  
He nodded approvingly, "Good to know that you appreciate my sacrifices."  
  
"Sacrifice?" she repeated cocking her eyebrows. "Yeah, right!"  
  
"Hey," he cried out trying to stay completely serious, "I made you breakfast and all I get in return is witty remarks."  
  
Nicole bit into a piece of toast, "I said it was nice of you," she defended calmly her eyes sparkling with innocence.  
  
Cole chuckled, "I'll remember that," he muttered and sat down on the bed. "So," he asked stealing a croissant from her plate, "What do you want to do today?"  
  
Nicole shrugged and took a large sip of her orange juice trying to hide the disappointment she felt. "I don't know," she answered, "We might just enjoy the day off, sit on the coach and do nothing."  
  
Cole nodded, "That's a good idea. But we can't do it here. If we stay in the Penthouse, somebody will definitely show up."  
  
Nicole rolled her eyes, "If we have to go somewhere," she protested, "it's already not 'doing nothing day'."  
  
"Well, call it doing as little as possible," Cole suggested and seeing her displeased face continued, "Let's at least go to your uncle's house where people have to knock to get in and we have a choice whether we want to open the door or not."  
  
"Fine," the young woman finished her breakfast and got out of bed. "I'll just take a shower and we can go." She quickly disappeared into the bathroom. She could not help feeling upset that Cole forgot about her birthday. It did not mean that he did not care, right? Just didn't pay so much attention to such small things. One of her teachers always used to say, "Don't put your loved ones to the test when you don't have to. You just end up disappointed." He was right. She should have just told Cole. Of course, it would have been so nice to be surprised. Nicole sighed and got into the shower. Now she would just have to tell him herself and then they would do something fun together.  
  
When Nicole finished drying her hair, she observed herself in the mirror and decided that she looked very nice "like a real birthday girl", she told herself. Since her father's death she never really had a proper birthday. Her mother was too obsessed with bringing her up as a future nun that the only holidays celebrated in their family were religious. Plus it did not help that her birthday was at the end of March which meant that it was the time of the Lent. When Nicole went to University, it meant that her birthday was during Easter vacations when most of her friends went home and she stayed to work in the pub to make some extra money. During the year she spent with Chris her birthday came quite early on and they just went to the pub with some colleagues from work. But at least since she got a job she always bought herself a present. Today she was secretly hoping that she would get one from Cole. Nicole pushed this thought away. "And you will," she told herself, "when you stop behaving like an eight year old and tell him about your birthday."  
  
Nicole opened the door into the bedroom and froze on the spot. The room had completely transformed, it was now filled with flowers, which stood in big vases in every corner, decorated the nightstand and the vanity case. A big sparkling sign "Happy birthday" was hanging above the bed.  
  
"Happy birthday, Nicole," she heard Cole's voice. He was standing in the door frame holding a red rose in his hands.  
  
She looked at him a happy smile forming on her lips, "You remembered?" she exclaimed.  
  
"How could I forget?" he replied with a question and grinned at her, "But I also know that you like surprises so I had to pretend that I was not going to do anything to get you out of the room."  
  
He handed her the rose, Nicole breathed in the sweat smell. It was turning up to be a great birthday.  
  
"It's really great," she said pointing at all the flowers, "how did you guess?"  
  
He smiled sheepishly, "Well, it was not really a guess. I remembered it from our telepathic mishap and," he paused trying to find the right words, "followed the lead so to say." He pulled a small box out of his pocket, "Except for this one. This is a total improvisation." He handed her a small box, which looked like a jewellery case. But when Nicole opened it she saw a key lying on black velvet with a discreet Mercedes badge on the inside of the lid.  
  
She stared at Cole in disbelief, "You bought me a car?" she asked incredulously.  
  
The half demon nervously shifted his weight from one leg to another, "Yeah. I know it's not very romantic and everything. But I know you like driving and..." He did not have time to continue, Nicole kissed him passionately her arms wrapping around his shoulders. When they pulled away her eyes were shinning brightly.  
  
"It's the best present you could have given me," she whispered emotionally and smiled. If Cole had any doubts in how successful was his present this smile was enough to prove that he indeed hit the jackpot.  
  
In the meantime Nicole stared at him impatiently, "Where is it?" she asked.  
  
He grinned back at her, "It's parked downstairs." He did not have time to finish because Nicole grabbed his hand and blurred into the parking garage. In the spot next to the black Porsche there was now a silver Mercedes SL550. Nicole could not believe her eyes. It was just like a dream. "It's so beautiful," she whispered.  
  
Cole inwardly relaxed. He was very worried that Nicole would not like the idea of being given a car as a birthday present or that she would not like his choice. But his worries seemed to be unfounded.  
  
"I want to take it for a drive," Nicole shrieked excitedly.  
  
"By all means," the half demon smiled at her impatience. "But I think if we got into trouble with the police for speeding it would be better if you were dressed not in your bathrobe. Then on the other hand it could help, I suppose, but only if the officer was a man."  
  
Nicole realized that she had not bothered to change and immediately disappeared back into the bedroom. Ten minutes later the Mercedes SL had left its parking spot and sped up towards the San Francisco Highway.  
  
A pair of grey eyes followed the silver sports car. "So the rumours are true," the woman thought to herself. "Who would have thought?!" She took a sip of her coffee. There was no rush at the moment. Judging by the sight of it they would not be back for a while and when they were it would be time to pay a visit.  
  
Cole and Nicole spent a fantastic day. After driving along the coast they left the car in the parking garage and blurred to Colorado to see the Grand Canyon. The weather there was beautiful and they enjoyed fantastic views. After having lunch in a small restaurant they continued exploring the different natural beauties of North America. Nicole was keen to see everything. Since she was always scared of flying she travelled a lot through Europe but never actually went to another continent. Now when movement in space was easy she was anxious to visit different parts of the Earth, about which she knew only from films and books. Having Cole as a companion and a guide had made travelling even more interesting for her. During his over century long life the half demon had visited many corners of the planet and had a good knowledge of their geography and culture but he never had time to enjoy any of them and now with Nicole by his side everything looked different making him take pleasure in every moment. They got back to California in the evening. Cole made reservations in the restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel and they had enough time to take a shower and get changed before going out for dinner. Nicole carefully parked her new car into the underground garage and they took an elevator to the Penthouse. There she disappeared into the bedroom and Cole went to the kitchen to get some water.  
  
The sound of the door bell made him perk up. Who the hell could that be? He did not want anybody to disturb them. It was Nicole's birthday and they deserved to spend it together. Cole was almost ready to ignore the bell when it rang again and this time the unexpected visitor did not give up easily. Cole cursed and blurred to the door. He picked into the pip hole and saw a woman in her fifties standing on the staircase. She looked familiar and the half demon frowned trying to remember where he had seen her before. Then the realisation hit him and he had a very unusual feeling of not knowing what to do. He hesitated for a moment and the woman pressed the door bell again. "I know you are there," Cole heard. He sighed and opened the door, "Can I help you?" he asked coolly.  
  
The woman regarded him with cold interest, "My name is Katherine Berg," she introduced herself, "I am here to see my daughter."  
  
Cole was about to reply when the voice from behind interrupted him, "What the hell are you doing here?" Nicole's face paled as she regarded her mother with a hardly hidden hostility.  
  
The woman smiled calmly, "Good to see you too, Nicole," she said slightly sarcastically. "Do you think that the 30th birthday of the only daughter is not good enough reason for a visit?"  
  
The young woman's lips twisted into a sardonic smile, which quickly disappeared, "Cut the crap, mother, will you? What do you want?"  
  
For a moment Katherine looked as if she was about to lash out on her daughter but at the end she just sighed, "I want to talk to you. I heard about William's death. And then found out that you left your job and moved to the States. It meant that William had broken our agreement and, no doubt, told you everything. So I wanted to meet with you and present you with my side of the story," she paused and then continued, "I wanted to explain to you why I did the things I did."  
  
Nicole lifted her head defiantly, "You needn't have to bother," she remarked curtly, "Uncle Will already explained everything."  
  
Katherine shook her head dismissively, "And I am sure he was very persuasive. Knowing William I am sure he portrayed me as the guilty one. But it's only one side of the story. At least what you ought to do is hear me out and then you can decide."  
  
"I don't need to hear your story," Nicole's voice tingled with anger. "No matter what your reasons were, you made my life miserable. And no amount of explanation can change that."  
  
"I tried to protect you," Katherine yelled losing her cool. "You probably think that magic is such a great thing: all the cool powers and exiting adventures. Well, you're wrong. Magic will only destroy the lives of people. And those who practice it bring heartbreak to themselves and the ones that are close to them." She paused and continued quieter, her voice ringing with pain. "My mother was a human, she was supposed to be a future whitelighter. It was my father's job as a darklighter to stop her from fulfilling her destiny. And the way he decided to solve the problem was to seduce her, then he dumped her and used his telepathic powers to convince her that every man would behave the same way. He figured that this way my mother would start hating the world, which is not compatible with being an angel. He did not expect her to get pregnant. But when I was born he left my mother to raise me until my powers manifested at the age of six. Then he took me to the Underworld and my mother committed a suicide. He succeeded perfectly in his task. She never became a whitelighter having taken her own life. My life in the Underworld was horrible. Because I was a half-bred other children teased me. Everyday I had to practice to use my powers so in time I could become a loyal servant of the Source. But I had different plans. I wanted to escape from my father and return to the normal mortal world. And I was lucky. He was vanquished by a witch and I received freedom and his fortune. I graduated from University and then moved to the States leaving my past behind me. But magic never leaves you alone. I met Robert and we fell in love, then I found out that he was a half bred as well. I almost broke up with him. But he convinced me that magic had its good sides. Magical people lived longer, they didn't suffer from human illnesses. He made me believe that magic could protect us and that I would never have to experience loss again. So I stayed with him. Plus it was nice to have somebody whom I could tell the real story of my parents. Robert was an excellent husband: he did not insist on me using my powers, he allowed me to have a normal job. Things would have been perfect if not for his brother. William was always there. They had all these tasks and sometimes Robert would leave in the middle of the night for some emergency meeting. William was fully magical; his mother was a whitelighter, who fell for a demon. He could not imagine his life without magic and he dragged Robert alongside him. I hated this, if not for William, Robert might have agreed to strip his powers and lead a normal life. With time your father told me the truth, about the whole Lugel thing. When I got pregnant I was very worried that something was going to happen to us, so he told me about his invincibility and then passed it to me. He said he did not need it. And you know the rest. One night Robert left to fulfil another task from William and never returned. Magic had tricked me again. And then I swore that I would never fell its victim again and that I would do my outmost best to protect you from it. I threatened William that I would reveal the truth about Lugels if he did not leave us alone. He backed down and then I concentrated on shielding you from magic once and for all. Your powers were already bound from the moment you were born so all I had to do was prevent you from finding out about it. And I thought I did very well. Even when you went into the fit and left the house after graduating from school and decided to build the life on your own I still took care that William would leave you alone." She paused and smiled bitterly. "What I did not count on was that this bloody Lugel would die and this way undo all my efforts. But it's not too late," she stared at Nicole intently, "You can leave all this behind. We can bind your powers or even better strip them and you will be able to return to England and live a normal life."  
  
Nicole listened to her mother, her face becoming more and more pale. And when the older woman finished Nicole's eyes sparkled with such fury that Cole had never seen. "Normal life?!" she barked with contempt, "You call that a normal life. You're more mad than I thought. I hated my life as it was. You treated me as if I was evil reincarnated. All you cared about was bringing me as far as possible from any sin, this way depriving me from any fun in life. Hey, you put me into the school where half the children were mentally retarded and the other half had committed serious crimes and were sentenced to serve society. It was like burying me alive. You did to me the same things as your father did to you, even worth since you did not get vanquished so I had to fight to escape from you. And even now when I finally succeeded, when finally I have the life I dreamt about you want me to go back to that miserable existence?! You must be out of your mind."  
  
"I was trying to keep you away from harm," Katherine's face twitched.  
  
"By depriving me from my heritage? From my uncle who loved me so much? You achieved the opposite, mother. Even as a little girl I dreamt about being reunited with uncle Will. And now when he is dead and I know that it was your doing that prevented me from knowing him, I hate you even more than I used to. And there is not a chance in hell I would ever return to that horrible existence you call life."  
  
Now it was Katherine's turn to pale, her eyes looked wildly around and then fixed on Cole, "It's your doing, isn't it?" she hissed, "Don't think I don't know about you, Belthazor, and about your charms. No wonder William decided to use you to tie my foolish daughter to magic. All she could ever dream about was getting herself a husband and you offered her that," her eyes bored into the ring on Nicole's finger. "Now my daughter is completely unable to see through your tricks, to see that she is just a pawn in the game of all powerful Lugels. Well, don't think I will just stand by and watch you ruining her life."  
  
With the corner of his eye Cole could see Nicole raising her hand ready to send her mother flying into the wall. At the last minute he managed to catch her arm in his, "No," he said sternly, his hand wrapping protectively around her waist. The half demon coldly regarded the woman in front of him. "Mrs Berg, you expressed yourself clear enough. Now let me say a few words. As Nicole's mother all you need to know is that my feelings for your daughter are deep and just. We are getting married soon. And I am planning to spend the rest of my life trying to make her as happy as she makes me. I believe you heard enough about me to understand that I will use all means at my disposal against anybody who threatens Nicole, myself or our marriage. So you better get used to the idea that your daughter can now perfectly take care of herself without your intervention and that she has people around her who would help and protect her."  
  
Katherine's eyes glimmered dangerously, "Don't you dare threatening me," she shot.  
  
"It's not a threat, it's a warning," he replied coolly.  
  
"And if I were you, mother, I would listen to him," Nicole added her lips twisting into a grim smile.  
  
Katherine swirled like an injured animal, "You," she uttered in outrage, "my daughter, are letting this evil bastard threaten me like that?"  
  
Nicole shrugged indifferently, "Mother, I did not ask you to come here. I made it clear when I left your house that it would be better for both of us to never meet again. I don't want to fight with you but I agree with Cole. If what you say is true and you are worried about my safety then be assured that I am well protected and by no means helpless. That's all that should concern you. So go back to England to whatever you do there, I don't care. But if you ever try to interfere in my life I can guarantee you that our relation is not going stop me from defending myself and those close to me with every power I have and you might guess that I have quite a few."  
  
The older woman surveyed them with angry eyes. "You will regret it," she uttered menacingly.  
  
The young couple did not move and after shooting another angry glare towards them, Katherine left slamming the door behind her.  
  
A few moments had passed and Cole and Nicole just stayed silent. Then she turned and walked back into the living room. Her shoulders sagged tiredly as she plopped on the sofa. Cole sat next to her and pulled her into a hug. Nicole wrapped her hands around his neck, her body shuddered from muffled sobs.  
  
"Why can't she leave me alone?" she whispered into his shoulder.  
  
Cole did not know what to say, he just hugged her tighter, stroking her hair, "It will be fine," he whispered back. "You are safe. I won't let her hurt you again."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" she asked lifting her head so he could see her red worried eyes. "You don't know her. She won't stop until she makes my life miserable again. And she is clever enough to know that the best way to get to me is to harm you. Don't underestimate her, Cole, she is really dangerous. And..."  
  
The half demon did not let her finish, his finger touched her lips stopping her from talking. "Don't worry so much, Nicole. We are not defenceless. We are the Chosen Two and we have a whole Lugels Council on our side."  
  
"But..." Nicole was about to object but he interrupted her.  
  
"I am invincible and so are you when we are together. And from now on I won't let you out of my sight. So don't worry we will be fine." He paused and added gently, "Don't let your mother ruin your birthday. It's what she wants. We should just go for dinner as we planned and enjoy this evening."  
  
Nicole nodded and hugged him tightly burying her face in his chest. Cole did manage to calm her fears but they did not disappear. For the first time Nicole felt that she had something to lose in her life and it absolutely terrified her. Now feeling his warm arms around her body she swore to herself that she would be absolutely ruthless in protecting Cole and their relationship from anything and anybody, especially her mother. 


	12. Chapter 12

  
  
Hi there! Here is the next chapter, finally. Let me know what you thing and thanks for all reviews. 

Chapter 12

Phoebe was lazily lying in her bed staring at the ceiling. It was Saturday morning. Jason was fast asleep next to her and she finally had time to think about last night. In the evening they went out for dinner to celebrate a new deal, which was just completed. When they walked into the restaurant they noticed Cole and Nicole sitting at one of the most exclusive and discrete tables with large windows on two sides and with two massive flower compositions separating the rest of the diners and creating a private romantic atmosphere. The couple was completely engrossed in the conversation so they did not notice the new arrivals. Phoebe on the other hand could not tare her eyes away from them. And even through the wall of flowers she could see how they were leaning towards each other. Jealousy stabbed Phoebe in the gut but thankfully Jason whispered a few words to the waiter and they were immediately led to the table at the gallery, which was completely invisible from the corner table. Phoebe appreciated his decision and tact and really tried to have a good time and make Jason's evening pleasant. She succeeded most of the time except of occasional stab of jealousy when an image of Cole and Nicole popped into her head. They looked so... Phoebe cut herself before she could even think the word "love". She knew perfectly well that Cole loved only her even if he was sleeping with someone else. Her mood did not improve when she went to the toilet and saw Cole holding Nicole's hand and then drawing it closer and gently kissing the knuckles. For a second Phoebe could almost feel his lips touching her skin and it made her shiver. She shook her head and went back to Jason. For the rest of the night she did her best to push Cole out of her mind. She tried to concentrate her attention on Jason, this gorgeous, smart and caring man who was everything she wished for. His eyes looked at her with admiration and love. And she told herself, she had made the right choice. Cole was uncontrollable and possessive. He was a demon for God's sake. He was simply dangerous. Their table was approached by one of the Jason's business partners who came to say hello. Phoebe turned her head to greet him and immediately regretted it. She saw Cole and Nicole leaving. His hand was lying on her back and she noticed his thumb gently caressing her spine. The shivering feeling returned and Phoebe just stared after them.

Last night she did not have time to think about why she reacted like that. But now when everything around her was so peaceful, when it was quiet and the sun was shinning in the sky her thoughts returned to last evening. Why all of sudden she could not push Cole out of her head? It was already a while since they divorced. He hadn't tried to get her back or even talk to her. If they met at some official event he would just greet her coolly and usually keep the conversation to the minimum. She knew that he purposefully avoided her and initially thought that it was because he loved her so much that it was painful for him to talk to her. But with time she could not ignore the fact that Cole's attention was completely devoted to Nicole. His eyes always followed her and when they stood next to each other he seemed to be very happy and relaxed. Phoebe kept telling herself that it was a good thing for her and that she should feel relieved but with every day it was harder to convince herself that Cole moving on with his life made her happy. When she found out that he was again playing an active part in the Underworld trying to become the new Source she thought it would make it easier for her to push him out of her mind. But instead it made her think about him more. Maybe if she had not pushed Cole away after his return from the Wasteland he would never have gone back to the Underworld. Phoebe scowled disgusted with herself. She must be a horrible person. Even the fact that Cole was calmly sending fireballs into her and her family during their encounter in the Underworld did not stop her thinking about him, missing him and to her great shame craving for him. She must be out of her mind.

"Morning, sunshine."

Phoebe snapped out of her thoughts when Jason moved to kiss her. She responded to his kiss trying to get lost in it and forget all about her ex husband. But instead it proved one point: Jason was great. He had everything any woman could want in a man. He just wasn't Cole.

On the other side of town Nicole was also staring at the ceiling. She was thinking that her wedding was in less than a week. She was marrying the man of her dreams who was now lying in bed next to her and even in his sleep his hand was protectively wrapped around her waist. When she looked at him she could feel the warmth spreading inside her. But at the same time she had another feeling in her heart. It was fear. Fear that something bad would happen, something that would take Cole away from her. In her life Nicole did not have many people who loved her and whom she loved back. She could hardly remember her father and she never really had her uncle as part of her life. And you can't be scared about losing something you don't have. But with Cole it was different. Only the thought of losing him was terrifying. She cared about him so much, she loved him more than she ever thought was possible. And with this love came fear. Over the last months she managed to learn to live with Cole's past. His demonic history did not worry her. Never in her life had she felt safer than when he was next to her. And maybe it was her own inner cruelty but she did not have nightmares about his victims though she knew everything he'd done during his career of an assassin. She knew perfectly well that Cole could be ruthless but she knew herself well enough to admit that she would be the same if it ever came to it. Objectively she knew that Cole was not an easy person to live next to. He had a dark soul, arrogant ego and annoying desire to always be right and the even more annoying feature of often being so. But somehow it suited her perfectly. It did not mean that they never had their disagreements but fights were very rare. She knew that Cole deeply respected her and always listened to her opinion. Often a warm word from her side would cool him off. And when she was about to go into a fit he would usually shut up and just listen to her or pull her into a hug. They always managed to talk to each other and sort their differences.

Learning to live with his past relationships was much harder. The demonesses did not bother her that much. Especially after she used her powers to convince one of them to have a sex change operation. The rumour spread fast and the next event in the Underworld found female part of the Underworld much less interested in getting Belthazor into bed. When Cole found out he first raised his eyebrow, then shook his head and at the end just laughed. Elizabeth on the other side was very proud of her and said that she was now sure that her son was in good hands. Phoebe Halliwell was much more of a serious issue. They met often enough at different events where they had to go to because of their work at the DLM investment. And though she noticed the strained looks Phoebe directed towards her ex husband, Nicole also saw that Cole's eyes followed only her and when they by accident landed on Phoebe they stayed the same clear blue and he usually moved his gaze away. He avoided talking to his ex wife and Nicole could never feel any uneasiness from his side. The young Lugel would obviously have preferred if Phoebe Halliwell had moved to another dimension but even in the current situation Nicole felt confident in her relationship and therefore very happy. She loved her life, the fact that she had great powers, fantastic job, important mission and great people around her. Yesterday it all changed, her mother showed up and Nicole realised how fragile everything was and how none of it matter if something was to separate her and Cole. Her fears flared with new strength. The more she thought about how happy she was the more she felt it could not last. Nicole tried to squash this feeling and when they went out for dinner she almost managed. They had a fantastic evening and even more fantastic night. But now in the reality of the daylight her fears have crept back into her heart.

"Thinking about me, baby?" she heard Cole's voice imitating a strong Texas accent. He rose himself on his elbow and looked at her his eyes sparkling teasingly.

"What would you know!" she answered in unison to his mocking tone.

"I think you do," he repeated rolling on top of her, "or at least you should."

"Why is that?" she replied turning her head away so he could not kiss her lips.

He did not repeat his attempt and instead kissed her neck his tongue tracing elaborate patterns on her skin. He reached her earlobe and whispered into her ear, so his warm breath made her moan loudly, "Because I am planning to spend this weekend in bed with you and we are getting married in six days time."

Nicole managed to collect what was left of her sense and slip from under him. "Yes, about that," she said trying to catch her breath. "These two don't go together."

Cole frowned and she could not stop herself smiling at his puzzled expression. "Well, we are getting married in 6 days and I still don't have a dress," she explained, "and if I am going to spend this weekend with you than I won't have time to go shopping."

"Fine," the half demon agreed, "but we don't have to go now, we can do some practicing for the wedding night now and then we'll have plenty of time for shopping."

"We?" Nicole repeated, "Oh, no, you are not coming with me. You are the groom and can't see the dress. So I suggest you rent yourself a horror film or go somewhere, have some quality macho man time."

Cole ignored her witty remake and shook his head, "You can't go alone," he said firmly, "with your mother being around I am not letting you out of my sight."

Nicole who managed to get out of bed and wrap herself in a sheet stared at him in outrage, "Well, you going to have," she said sternly, "I am not taking you to pick my wedding dress. It's bad luck."

"I don't care," he shot back also getting up, "I'd much rather go against this stupid tradition than risk something happening to you."

"It's not a stupid tradition," she snapped. "And we are not going against it. I already have to live with having a black dress instead of a white one, having no flowers, no cake and getting married by some weird Underworld ceremony in ancient Latin instead of normal wedding in English. So at least what I can do is to keep you away from my outfit."

"It's not my fault," Cole protested. "If it was up to me we could just get married in Vegas. You know yourself that it's all politics that requires us to have a traditional demonic marriage. And it's your warlock relatives who insist on us having the civil ceremony as well. Why they want it is completely beyond me."

"Because they know we both live and work in the mortal realm and so do they. So no wonder that they want us to be married according to human laws. I don't think showing an amulet filled with blood would have the same effect as a marriage certificate."

The doorbell interrupted their argument and Nicole used it to escape to the bathroom. Cole cursed catching the bathrobe which she thrown to him using her telekinesis and went to open the door.

"Morning, Cole," Celina greeted him calmly. "How are you?"

"Fine," Cole answered grumpily letting the French woman to come in. "What are you doing here?"

She lifted her eyebrow at his question and Cole sighed, "Sorry," he mumbled, "I did not mean to be rude."

Celina smiled warmly, "I know," she said, "I came here to offer Nicole my help in choosing the wedding dress if she does not already have one."

Cole heaved a sigh, "Good, maybe you can reason with her. She does not want me to go with her."

"Of course," French woman exclaimed, "You are the groom."

"I know I am the groom," Cole snapped. "But she can't go alone, it's not safe. Her mother is here and let's just say she's not happy about Nicole being a Lugel."

The French woman paled. "Katherine Berg is here?" she repeated.

"Yes," he confirmed. "She came to the Penthouse yesterday. Said, she would not give up on her attempts to keep Nicole out of magic. And after looking at her, I believe it."

Celina's beautiful face changed into a real fury, "She'd better stay out of this," she hissed through clenched teeth, "Or I will take care that she would go straight to hell even if I have to personally drag her there." Her eyes were full of blind hatred and Cole was surprised that this always so calm and self assured woman could even have such feelings. She took a deep breath, "Don't worry Cole," her face returned to normal but her voice still echoed with steel. "I will take care of Nicole. You can't ask her to break the tradition. It's already a very unusual wedding so it's important we keep at least something normal."

He was about to object but she interrupted him, "You have to let go, Cole. You can't protect her 24/7. It's unrealistic. And trust me, Nicole is capable of taking care of herself. She is very careful and very smart."

Three days later the Halliwell sisters gathered together for dinner. Ever since Leo left The Manor was very quiet. Piper spent most of her time either in the club or cooking and mixing potions, trying not to think about her husband. She decided that for the baby's sake she had to calm herself and not spend all the time crying. It was not easy. The first night Piper cried herself to sleep but in the morning she felt better, as if a thick wall separated her pain from her heart. Phoebe and Paige tried to talk to her but she did not want to discuss Leo with them. She explained to them that she had to keep herself calm, for the baby and their constant reminding about Leo did not make it any easier. Her sisters exchanged worried glances but decided not to press the matter. Neither of them even thought that when Piper fell asleep that night Leo used a calming spell on her, which suppressed her pain and made it bearable.

Now they were all gathered around the table and Phoebe was telling her sisters about the letter she got that morning from a woman who cheated on her husband and was not sure whether she should tell him about it or not. The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation and Paige volunteered to check who was at the door. When she flung it open she saw a beautiful woman in her fifties with grey eyes and dark-silvery hair.

"Can I help you?" the young witch asked wearily eyeing their visitor.

For a second the woman's eyes bored into Paige's face. "Are you one of the Halliwell sisters?" she asked finally. A distinct English accent obvious in her voice.

Paige raised her eyebrows, "Yes," she answered, "And you are?"

"My name is Katherine Berg." the woman replied with dignity, "I believe you've met my daughter, Nicole."

The young witch's eyes grew wide with surprise, which quickly turned into suspicion. "And what do you want?" she asked suspiciously.

"I came to ask for your help," the older woman replied seriously, "your help as the Charmed Ones."

Paige swallowed harshly and stepped aside allowing Katherine to come in. She led her to the dinning room where her sisters already started to wonder what was taking so long. They stared at the newcomer curiously.

"This is Katherine Berg," Paige introduced, "the mother of Nicole Berg. She's here to ask for our help... Witch type..." she added in a lower voice.

Hearing the name of the woman who took Cole away from her made Phoebe inwardly cringe with jealousy. "And what kind of help do you need from us?" she asked barely hiding her sarcasm. "I thought your daughter was powerful enough herself."

The woman stared at her with such intensity that Phoebe would have taken a step back if she was not sitting on the chair.

"I want you to free my daughter from evil," Katherine replied simply, "I want you to help me put an end to her involvement in magic and return her to the normal mortal life."

The three sisters stared at her in shock. Piper was the first one to regain her composure, "I am not sure we can do this," she said slightly puzzled, "Your daughter obviously has magical powers. And it's up to her whether she wants to use them. We can't force her into giving them up."

"Even if these powers are turning her evil?" Katherine interrupted her.

"We can't interfere with the freedom of choice," Piper explained patiently, "It's the basic right observed by both good and evil. Nicole has to decide herself how she wants to use her powers, if at all. And I guess she has already made the choice. It usually happens within 48 hours after she receives her powers."

"Yeah," Paige peeped in, "And I think we all know, which side she chose," her lips twisted into a sarcastic smile, "considering the company..."

"But that's why," the older woman exclaimed passionately, "She did not have the freedom of choice. The moment she received her powers she met this demon and he manipulated her into becoming evil. But I know she has not killed anybody yet. So she can be rescued if we separate her from this bastard. And that's why I want you to help me! Until it's too late."

The sisters were slightly taken aback by the force of her emotions. Phoebe who was more suspicious of Nicole's mother than her sisters recovered first.

"How do you know that she has not killed anybody?"

"Because I can sense it," Katherine replied impatiently.

"But that means that you are evil too," Phoebe remarked remembering Cole's explanation about his ability to sense evil.

The older woman paled and seared the middle Charmed One with an intense glare. She then shook her head, a bitter and condescending smile touching her lips.

"I see that your ex husband taught you something. You are right and wrong at the same time. I am not evil in a sense that I have not killed anybody in my life. And I don't have any active powers. But it's an inherit ability of a darklighter to feel if a person has blood on his or her hands. And since I am half darklighter I have this ability as well."

"Half darklighter?" Piper exclaimed taking a step back and raising her hands.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Don't be scared," she said, "I am not going to harm your whitelighter baby. I have bound my powers years ago and never used them. I don't want anything to do with magic. I always lived a normal mortal life and did everything in my power to keep my daughter away from magic. But he managed to lure her anyway."

"He?" Paige asked curiously, "Whom are you talking about?"

A scowl distorted Katherine's beautiful face, "My brother in law, William Schwarzlight," she said his name as if she was talking about the devil himself. The older woman took a deep breath and continued calmer, "My husband was the half human like me. We were very happy together. I got my powers from my father who was a darklighter and who seduced my mother and then drove her to suicide to prevent her from becoming a whitelighter. Then he took me to the Underworld and my life would have been completely ruined if he was not vanquished in time. So you probably can understand why I wanted a life without magic. And I am sure that Robert would have agreed to give up his powers if it was not for his William. He was fully magical and did not allow his brother to turn into a mere human. So my husband died when Nicole was four years old and I spent my whole life keeping her away from magic. But my wicked brother-in-law fooled me again. When he died Nicole's power got activated. And now I need to save her, before Belthazor finishes his job." She stared at the distance a sheer determination written on her face.

"Belthazor has been gone for more than a year," Phoebe mumbled quietly.

Her voice snapped the older woman from her thoughts. She glared at the middle Halliwell, "But Cole Turner became even more powerful in the process," she uttered in a steely voice. "And you allowed this to happen. You failed to kill him when you had the chance. You, the Charmed One, not only protected one of the most notorious demons of all times, you even married him. And when you had enough you just chucked him out of your life, more powerful and dangerous than he ever was; looking completely human, with no demonic form to surface its ugly head. You unleashed him on all these innocents who had no idea what's coming their way until it was too late. But who cares? You and your sisters are safe, protected by all your powers. That's the only thing that matters."

"Hey," Paige protested, "You can't accuse Phoebe, she believed Cole was good and it's not her fault that he turned evil again. And it's not like we did not try to vanquish him. But he is invincible now so there is not much we can do."

"But you are not even trying!" Katherine yelled, "And my daughter is paying for this. Paying with her life. She does not have powerful sisters to protect her and to fight for her. I don't have any powers. And she is so fooled by him that she does not want to listen to me."

The Charmed Ones fell into an uneasy silence. Piper was the first one to speak up, "What do you want us to do?" she asked.

"I want you to separate them. I don't care how you do it. Just make him let her go or convince her to leave him."

Paige just snorted, "Ha, you think we did not try? Whatever you think about us we know our duty to protect innocents. We tried to talk to your daughter, not once, but she does not want to listen. She just threatened to sue us."

"Then make him leave her." Katherine turned to Phoebe, "He tried so hard to save your marriage. He would listen to you, especially if you pretended that you wanted him back."

"It was a long time ago," the middle Halliwell said unsurely. "I doubt..." She trailed off and Piper stepped in.

"Phoebe is not going to get even near this bastard," she said firmly. "She had enough trouble getting him out of her life as it is."

Paige nodded in agreement, "And plus he looks to be really in love with..." she was interrupted by two voices.

"He does not love her," Phoebe shot.

"Demons can't love," Katherine echoed.

"Whatever," Piper shot her younger sister a worried look and assumed the position of the oldest sister. "We can't interfere with people's relationships. For what we know Cole did not put Nicole under a spell or anything. So she is staying with him willingly. And unless she decides to leave him there is nothing we can do. As there is nothing we can do to stop her using her powers. I am afraid you have to try to convince her yourself, that's the only way."

Katherine stared at them, her face a mixture of anger and disbelief. Not able to withstand this glaring look, the sisters turned their eyes away. The older woman laughed bitterly, though it more reminded of a bark, "And you call yourself the most powerful witches ever?!" her voice was dripping with contempt, "how pathetic." She turned on her heels and left the Manor.

When the sisters heard the door slamming behind her they unconsciously sighed with relief.

Paige was the first one to speak up, "I feel kind of bad letting her down like that," she said thoughtfully.

Piper looked at her sternly, "Would you rather we help her and ruin our lives?" she asked caustically. "Paige, you need to choose your battles. Firstly, it's against the rules for us to interfere in people's relationships and in the freedom of choice. And secondly, we can't do anything. We tried to speak to Nicole, it did not work. And I have no doubt that Miss Berg would drag us to court if we tried to interfere once again. Plus don't forget about Cole. He is not going to sit and not do anything. And we know that he would use his powers against us. Darryl warned us about it before and we recently saw the living proof when Cole bombarded us with fireballs without even a second of hesitation. And with the baby coming I am not in the mood for the supernatural smackdown especially when I know that our chances are not particularly grand."

Paige shot a guilty look at her sister's belly, "You're right," she admitted. "I was not thinking."

Phoebe just nodded. She looked extremely subdued but when Paige tried to comfort her, plastered a fake smile on her face and announced that she was going to her room to call Jason. When the door behind her closed she did not pick up the phone. Instead she opened one of her drawers and pulled out a small cardboard box. With a deep sigh she opened it and picked up a picture lying on the very top. The picture of her and Cole smiling at each other. She stared at it her eyes filling with tears. And as her vision became blurry, her thoughts were becoming clearer. And they scared the living hell out of her. She closed the box, her hand hesitating for a second and the next moment instead of putting it away she hugged it tightly and cried, as she had not allowed herself for a very long time.

Henry Karenian stared at his niece with adoring eyes. She was gorgeous, just like Elisa used to be. Nicole was a bit taller and had blond hair like the rest of des Noures, but her eyes were like the one of a true Karenian. And today she was going to start a new chapter in the history of her coven by marrying the son of the Source.

It was late morning and two warlock leaders gathered in the luxury suite of the XXX hotel where Nicole was getting ready for the civil registration, which was scheduled for noon. According to warlocks it was a mere formality so that the paperwork for the mortal realm was in order. The real ceremony was planned for the evening and it was one of the biggest ever events in the Underworld. The marriage was just a symbol, a sign of the new Source coming to power and a new era, which was about to start in the Underworld. And Henry Karenian had a total right to expect that his coven would benefit greatly from the general changes in the Underworld politics and this particular marriage. And if he had to share his triumph with des Noures, than so be it.

The French warlock was sitting comfortably in his chair, his eyes never leaving Nicole. She looked beautiful in a long off white skirt and a short top which when she moved showed a tiny bit of her skin. Phillip felt really proud that she was his daughter. She looked like real des Noures and at the same time had a lot from Elisa. And every time he saw Nicole he felt that part of his true love was back with him. He snapped out of his sentimental musings, which if they had ever become known would have greatly surprised both his enemies and allies and looked at his watch. "Time to go," he announced glancing at Nicole who was standing in front of the mirror.

She turned around and took a deep breath trying to suppress anxiety, "I am ready," she said calmly knowing full well that for the warlocks this registration did not mean anything. And they probably would not understand her nervousness. For her this was still a wedding and it was much closer to the marriage ceremony she always thought about than the one, which was planned for the evening. Though she could not show her true emotions to her so called relatives and could not wear a proper wedding dress, she still tried to look nice, like a real bride.

As if reading her thoughts, Phillip made a few steps closer and said trying to hide his emotions, "You look incredible," he paused and added quieter, "just like your mother." Nicole smiled at him pleased with his complement and he returned her smile with one of his own, "I just wish she could have seen you."

"Thank you," Nicole replied as usually having very mixed feelings towards her "relatives". She knew that if they ever discovered the truth she would be in serious trouble. And that made her weary of them. But at the same time they were really attentive to her. Two arrogant warlocks were trying their best to get to know her. And for her who never had experienced affectionate parental love this was a very unusual feeling.

"Right, all set," a blond woman came into the room. "Ready to go Nic?"

Nicole turned to Celina, who was now looking like a young woman with smily blue eyes and was posing as Nicole's friend from England.

"Absolutely," the bride picked up a small bouquet from the table.

In her office Phoebe Halliwell was typing away on her computer. After a day of struggling her words were finally flowing easily and she did not want to stop before she finished her column. It was almost there when somebody knocked on the door. Phoebe frowned, "Come in," she said without even looking up.

The door opened and then closed, "Hi Phoebe," she heard a voice speaking with the distinct English accent.

The young witch jerked her head and stared at the woman standing in her office, "Katherine?" she asked surprised, "What are you doing here?"

The older woman smiled curtly and sighed, "I came to apologise," she said finally, "for what I said the other day. I had no right to accuse you like that."

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock and Katherine continued, "You must understand, I am so worried about Nicole that it drives me absolutely insane. But it does not excuse my behaviour. Look, I know what you went through with your ex husband. And I want to tell you that I understand how you feel. I really loved my husband. No matter how much I hated magic, if my husband had not died, I would have stayed with him. And no magic or whatever he did with it would have separated us. I can also tell you that though I achieved what I always wanted, the normal human life, it did not make me any happier, because the only thing that matters is that I am not with him." She looked at Phoebe who was staring at her with eyes full of tears. Katherine made few steps towards the young witch and continued softly, "When I saw you yesterday I recognised myself in you. No matter how much your mind tells you that you should stay away from your ex husband, you heart is crying for him. And believe me with time it will only get worse. But it does not have to be this way. My husband is dead and I have to wait until it is my turn to join him, but you still have a chance to get him back. He is here, he is alive and he still loves you."

Phoebe took a harsh breath, her throat unusually dry. "And you think..." she started hoarsely, "you think that I should... that he still loves me?"

Katherine smiled warmly, "Of course, he changed his life for you, he fought for you, even being the Source he never harmed you or your family. The love for you helped him to survive and even escape the wasteland, something that no one else had ever done." Her smile widened slightly, "I think it is safe to say that when a man does all this things for a woman he is seriously in love with her."

Phoebe could not stand this; she dropped her head on her hands, her shoulder shuddering from sobbing. "I was hoping..." she mumbled through tears, "I knew...I miss him so much. I can't believe that I have ruined everything."

Strong hand touched her shoulder, "You have not ruined anything," Katherine said calmly, "you still have a chance to get him back. But you need to act quickly." She turned Phoebe's chair forcing the witch to look at her. "Nicole and Cole Turner are marrying tonight."

Phoebe gaped at her open mouthed, "You have to stop it," the older woman stated confidently, "otherwise it would be too late. It's a proper demonic marriage. When they are bound by blood it would much more difficult to separate them. Plus you know yourself, demonic marriages are contracted for procreation of children. And I think I can safely say that if they have a child together no one will be able to split them up."

Phoebe felt as if the avalanche had just come down on her. She shook her head trying to compose her thoughts, "I don't believe it," she said hoarsely, "he can't... he would not marry somebody else."

"He thinks that he does not have a chance with," Katherine cried out impatiently, "what do you expect him to wait for, a doomsday?

Phoebe just set there in total shock. Katherine bent down and shook her, "Look at me, Phoebe, I am not lying to you. If you don't believe me go and check yourself. They are currently at XXX hotel, registering their marriage in a law-abiding civil ceremony."

She did not have time to finish, Phoebe was already out of her office. Katherine stood there for a minute, her lips twisted into a derisive smile. "Foolish witch," she hissed under her breath, her smile turning into an evil grin, "But a really useful weapon."

Cole was standing in front of the magistrate waiting for Nicole to arrive. He could sense that she was getting closer. He turned to his mother sitting in the front row and Vladimir who now looked like a man in his early forties with chestnut hair and small brown eyes. The latter nodded and Cole turned away. He felt nervous. During the last months things were happening all the time. Now he was getting married and it was really important to him, but he also realised that this marriage was much more than the union between two people. It was going to affect the future of several dimensions. And he was supposed to steer all the events into the right directions and sometimes Cole felt that things were just spinning out of his control and that he was just a pawn in the game of superpowers. "Stop it, Turner," he told himself. "You are getting married to the woman of your dreams and everything else no matter how important it seems is just side effects." The sound of the music interrupted his musing and he saw Nicole standing in the doorway. He caught his breath. She looked stunning. And when she walked down the isle with Henry on one side and Phillip on the other, he felt himself inwardly relax as always when she was next to him.

The magistrate started the ceremony and everything was going as planned. Cole had already put the ring on Nicole's finger and she was about to do the same when the doors into the ceremony hall flew open. The bride and the groom swirled around and came face to face with Phoebe Halliwell.

"How could you do this to me?" she cried in a pained voice. "After everything you promised me. It's not yet six months since you pledged your undying love to me and you are marrying another woman!!!" She glared at him and then repeated flatly, "How could you do this, Cole? How could you do this to us?"

For a moment everybody in the room froze. Then Elizabeth raised her hand, but Cole stopped her, "No," he said steely. He looked at Phoebe and she was shocked by how cold his eyes were. "There is no us, Phoebe," he stated pointedly, "I would have thought that you would know that."

The young witch cringed under his stare, "You're wrong," she said in a determined voice. "I know that you love me. And I love you too." He waned to interrupt her but she added hastily. "I know I have pushed you away. And I am so sorry for that. But I have never stopped loving you. I was just scared and lost and I did not know what to do. But I will never make the same mistake again. I swear to you. We are meant for each other, Cole. Please don't ruin it."

She looked at him pleadingly and for a second she thought his eyes were becoming warmer. But it was not love, but pity that crept into his gaze.

"Things have changed, Phoebe." Cole said quietly but calmly, "I have changed. I don't love you anymore and we definitely were not meant for each other."

She took a step back as if he had plunged a knife into her chest, "You are lying," she whispered tears standing in her eyes, "I know, you love me. Not her" she pointed at Nicole, "but me. You are just angry that I have pushed you away after your return from the Wasteland and then insisted on the divorce."

Cole shook his head, "Listen to me, Phoebe. Our divorce was the best thing that could have happened to me. It allowed me to meet my true soul mate. I've never been as happy as I am now. I am getting married to the woman of my dreams. And you will have to learn to live with it."

Phoebe felt as if all her hopes and dreams were being destroyed in front of her. She staggered back, her eyes never leaving his, trying to find any traces of love, which she used to see in them, "I don't believe you," she whispered.

He shrugged his shoulders, "It's your right, but I would advise you to change your mind. Because you will only get hurt. Whatever we had, Phoebe, it is over, dead and buried. And I am sorry that you have not realised it already."

She looked around wildly. "You," her eyes fixed on Nicole, "You..." she made a step towards the young Lugel. But Cole blocked her way.

"That's enough, Phoebe." He said coldly raising his hand. "This is my wedding and I won't let you ruin it." He clicked his finger and Phoebe disappeared.

Cole turned around. The magistrate who stood motionless finally was allowed to unfreeze. He looked around confused and mattered, "Where were we?"

Nobody answered him, all eyes were focused on Nicole. The warlocks were looking questioningly, Elizabeth pleadingly and Celina and Vladimir worriedly. But she did not notice them. Her eyes were fixed on Cole. He stared at her silently, but Nicole could hear his voice in her head. "I love you more than the words could say..."

Ever since they received their telepathic powers Cole and Nicole could always maintain a mind block. It did not require any efforts from their side and allowed them to communicate with each other normally. Except from their telepathic mishap the only time when they exchange thoughts was during their missions. But now Nicole could feel that Cole had removed his defence allowing her complete access to his mind. The ocean of feelings opened to her. But she already knew what she wanted, she loved Cole and that was the only thing that mattered. She smiled at him warmly and placed the ring on his finger.

The atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed. The warlocks allowed themselves small smiles, Elizabeth finally breathed out and Celina and Vladimir exchanged contented looks. The most obvious reaction came from the magistrate. He smiled widely and announced in a cheery voice, "By the power entrusted to me by the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

He did not have to repeat the last sentence twice. Cole pulled Nicole into a tight embrace. And the young couple got lost in a passionate kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you thin.

Chapter 13. 

Piper and Paige were sitting in the kitchen having lunch. All morning they had been shopping for baby clothes and now both were happy to sit down and have a cold drink.

Paige was already on her second sandwich when a small vortex appeared in the middle of the kitchen. Before the two sisters could react the vortex disintegrated leaving Phoebe standing in its place. The middle Charmed One looked as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Phoebe," Piper asked warily, "Is it you?"

Her younger sister stood silent for a second and then muttered in a tired voice, "Of course, it's me, Piper."

"How did you get here?" Paige asked keeping a safe distance.

Phoebe smiled bitterly, "Magically," she explained sarcastically, "Did not you notice?" She ran her hand through her hair and added in a flat voice, "Cole sent me."

Her sisters forgot all their suspicions, "Cole?" Paige asked shocked. "How? ...Why did he do it?"

Phoebe observed her for a moment, then sighed and plopped on the chair, "I crashed his wedding," she explained. Shocked stares were the only comments to her words. "He is getting married," she said defensively, "to Nicole Berg. Today, or better said, he did get married this morning at least by the laws of the mortal realm. The demonic ceremony will take place in the evening," she added her lips twisting into a grimace, "I am surprised we have not received an invitation. Maybe it got lost in the mail."

Paige and Piper exchanged nervous look, "How did you find out?" the latter asked carefully.

"Because Katherine told me." Phoebe chuckled again, "Can you imagine, she is not keen on this wedding. Even less than you were, when I married Cole." She could not contain her hysterical laughter anymore. "What a coincidence..." she managed to mumble. "Do you think they would divorce as well?"

Piper and Paige now looked downright worried. "Phoebe, are you OK?" her youngest sister asked.

Phoebe lifted her head and seared the youngest Halliwell with a deadly glare, "No, I am not OK, Paige," she yelled. "Did not you hear me, Cole is getting married... I just saw the love of my life getting married to another woman. How do you think it makes me feel?"

Paige did not know what to say, she shot Piper a lost look and the oldest Charmed One decided that it was time to interfere.

"I am so sorry, honey," she murmured softly, putting a comforting hand around Phoebe's shoulders.

But her sister threw it off, "No, you are not..." she yelled. "You have never wanted me to be with Cole, from the moment you met him. You did everything to separate us. And what better separation could be than him being married to this bitch Nicole Berg?" The tears stood in her eyes and she brushed them away viciously.

Piper was taken aback by Phoebe's outburst but she calmed herself down and said softly, "I know you are upset, Phoebe, and I understand, believe me, but you will feel better with time. This is just a shock reaction."

A barking laugh answered her, "Feel better?" Phoebe repeated. "What a load of crap. You have no idea," she hissed, "both of you. It does not get better, it gets worse, every month, every day and every minute. It's the biggest lie in the world that time can heal everything. It only heals the surface but deep inside the wound just gets inflamed and more painful," she fixed her older sister with a hard stare. "It's been too short for you, Piper, to understand me, but you'll learn it the hard way, just the way I did. And then all you will want to do is to crawl into the nearest hole and die, just so it will not hurt anymore."

Piper stared at her sister in horror, getting more and more pale with every word, and Paige was getting worried about her pregnant sister. "Enough," she shouted to Phoebe. "Why are you ganging on Piper like that? It was your decision to divorce Cole. If you were so unhappy without him why did not you ask him back?"

The moment the young witch finished she immediately regretted her outburst. Phoebe turned to her like a fury, "Oh, yes, it was my decision," she shot, "and you had nothing to do with it. How convenient, Paige! It was all my own fault. But what about you? I know that you hated Cole the moment you learnt about his demonic past and did everything so we would not be together."

"You wanted him out of your life as well." Paige yelled defending herself, "you were talking about it all the time."

"I was scared and confused," Phoebe cried out, "Come on, Paige, I had just lost my husband and my baby. I was not myself. And instead of telling me to take it slow, to think about it you just ganged up together and kept telling me that Cole was evil. You knew I loved him, when I turned into a Mermaid you went to him because you knew my feelings for him. But not even once you told me that it would be okay to take Cole back. Not even once...! You all were going on how evil he was and I listened to you. I was so tired I could not keep fighting against you." She paused for breath and seared her sisters with a hateful glare, "Well, I am done listening to you," she said. "From now on I will take control of my life."

And with these words she turned round and ran upstairs. Her sisters stayed in the kitchen stunned by her outburst. Paige was the first one to return to reality, she made a move to go after Phoebe, but Piper stopped her. "There is no point, Paige," she said sadly, "She won't listen to you and plus you don't have much to say." She rubbed her face looking tiredly around. "We have made a huge mistake," she whispered, "and we will pay for it."

Paige set down next to her oldest sister. Phoebe's pained tear stricken face still stood in front of her. "I don't understand," she muttered, "How could we not have noticed? How could we misread the situation so badly?"

Piper shook her head, "Phoebe was always a good liar. I think this time she went a bit far and fooled not only us but herself as well."

Paige snorted, "Well, she definitely has woken up to truth... But I am not sure I like it very much."

Piper put her hand around her shoulders, "Well, hopefully she'll get over it and we have to make sure she does not do anything stupid, cast a spell or something..." She stopped mid-sentence and the next moment both her and Paige were running up the stairs towards the attic. "Paige, orb there," Piper yelled trying to climb the stairs as fast as her big belly would allow her.

Her sister followed her order. When she reappeared in the attic, she saw Phoebe sitting in the circle with a Book of Shadows on her lap.

"Phoebe, no," Paige yelled, rushing towards her sister, but she was thrown away by the magical barrier.

"Stay away, Paige," the middle Charmed One ordered. "It's not your life." She returned to the book and oblivious to his sisters' calls read out a spell.

"_In my life's darkest hour_

_I call upon the ancient power_

_Take me into my past, take me back_

_Into the moment of my gravest mistake_."

She repeated the spell again and felt herself spinning down a vortex. She closed her eyes and waited till the spinning stopped. Then she carefully opened her eyes and found herself standing in an empty corridor of the office building. Where could she be? The corridor led into a large atrium and Phoebe realised that she was in the Palace of Justice.

She stared at the clock which showed the date and the time. Everything became clear, she had returned to the day when she divorced Cole. She swirled around and saw herself and Darryl walking towards the judges chambers. Phoebe just had enough time to hind behind the plant.

"Don't worry, Phoebe," she heard Darryl saying. "You will get your divorce."

"I know Darryl," the past Phoebe sighed. "But sometimes I feel I will never get him out of my life."

"Fool," Phoebe swore silently. She watched them walking pass her and decided to follow them. She was trying to remember what she did on the day, impatiently waiting for a moment when she could catch her past self alone. And the opportunity presented itself. When Darryl and past Phoebe almost reached the judges chambers, somebody stopped him, and she excused herself and headed towards the restroom. Phoebe smiled and slipped into the bathroom after her. To her relief there was nobody else in there and she came face to face with her past self. The brown eyes that she saw everyday in the mirror grew wide in surprise. "Who the hell are you?" past Phoebe asked assuming a fighting stance.

"Relax," her future self answered, "I am you, just 6 months older."

"I don't believe you," past Phoebe eyed her suspiciously. "It must be one of Cole's schemes."

Phoebe snorted, "I wish," she said gloomily. "Look, stop being such a fool. Nobody sent me here, I did it myself. To warn you, or better said myself, from committing the gravest mistake of my life."

"Which is?" the past Phoebe asked slightly less hostile.

"Divorcing Cole," Phoebe answered calmly. She noticed her past self tensed, suspicion returning to her eyes. "For God's sake," Phoebe rolled her eyes, "stop acting like a paranoid freak. I am you, I can tell you where you bought every piece of clothing you are wearing now. I know that yesterday you had a shit day and tomorrow Elisa is going to yell at you because you have no inspiration what's so ever and your column read like chewing gum. And I even can tell you why, because you keep dreaming about Cole. And trust me if your divorce him it would get even worse." She paused. Her past self stared at her in shock. Phoebe took a deep breath and continued, "That's why I came here, to warn you, to make you face your own feelings until it's too late. You have a chance to save yourself and therefore myself from a lot of pain. All you need to do is not divorce Cole. Take him back while he still wants it and hold on to him, just as you would be holding on to your own life."

She stopped and watched the mixture of feelings on the face of her past self. Suspicion, confusion, fear and doubt were written all over it. The past Phoebe exhaled quickly and asked hesitantly, "You talk as if Cole would not want to be with me in your time?"

The reminder of how Cole rejected her just a few hours ago hit Phoebe with an impact of a bullet. She cringed and forced a wry smile onto her face, "Bingo," she answered dryly. The face of her past self expressed a great doubt and Phoebe's anger spilled out. "You can stuff this doubtful smile up your backside," she yelled. "If you don't do as I say in six months time Cole will marry another woman. And when you try to stop the wedding he will coldly announce that the love you shared is dead and buried and he has moved on! What? Why such big eyes? Don't you recognise the words? Did not you use them yourself? You are getting pale? Great, it means my words are getting through as well."

She stopped yelling and caught her breath. Her past self was standing in a state of complete shock. "What..." she stammered, "What shall I do?"

"You have to go and tell Cole you want to start over again," Phoebe said trying to sound calm. "Tell him that you have been just scared and confused. But you remembered all the good times you had and want to give it another go. And kiss him, you were always better at kiss than tell."

Past Phoebe looked around, her thoughts in a complete disarray. "What you did was personal gain," she said finally.

Future Phoebe just scowled at her, "Trust me, if you get Cole back now, the Elders would be more than happy. Otherwise somebody who is much more interested in evil than in good will get to him first." She grabbed her past self by the shoulders, "Look, we don't have much time. So I will just cut through all this talking and show you a bit of the future so you can decide for yourself."

With these words she took past Phoebe's palm into her hands and tried to relax. First nothing happened but then images started flowing between them. Cole dancing with a blond haired woman, smiling at her, his arms wrapped around her waist; Cole winning a Court case, swirling around and kissing the same woman, his eyes shinning happily and finally Cole putting a ring on the woman's finger and then his icy blue eyes staring at Phoebe while he raised his hand. The premonition stopped as abruptly as it started and the past Phoebe staggered back, her eyes wide in horror.

"I have to stop it," she whispered, "I have to..."

"That's the spirit," her future self agreed contentedly. "Now go, they are probably waiting for you and remember, hold on to him." She pushed past Phoebe towards the bathroom door and stayed there watching how her past self hurried towards the judge's chambers. With a sinking heart she saw how Darryl was about to open the door when the tall figure of Cole appeared next to them. They exchanged a few words, which Phoebe could not hear, but she saw her past self taking Cole by the hand and talking to him emotionally. Darryl's eyes grew big in shock and he tried to say something but past Phoebe just pushed him aside and turned back to Cole whose face expressed disbelief mixed with hope. And the next moment she reached for his lips and they kissed. Immediately everything around Phoebe started to spin, and she was drawn into the same vortex that brought her here. Her eyelids became very heavy and she fell into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes she found herself in her bedroom at the manor. The clock on her nightstand told her it was just 6 am. Phoebe set up in bed and stared at the tall figure standing next to her vanity case. Her heart flattered wildly. Cole straightened his tie and bent down to pick up his briefcase.

"Cole," Phoebe whispered not believing her eyes.

He turned around and she saw his clean shaven face and blue eyes which she missed so much, "Sorry," he said, "I did not mean to wake you up."

"You did not," she answered hastily her eyes taking in every bit of his face. "I woke up myself."

He smiled vaguely, "Well, you should go back to sleep. It's very early." He picked up his briefcase and headed to the door. But Phoebe grabbed him by the arm,

"Where are you going so early?" she asked worriedly.

"I am going to work," he answered simply.

"Why?"

Cole looked at her strangely, "You know perfectly well why, Phoebe," he said quietly. "We talked about it yesterday, let's not start again."

"But I don't understand," her heart sank with a horrible feeling.

Cole pulled his hand out of her grasp, "What don't you understand, Phoebe?" his voice sounded cold and distant. "That I don't want to live in the house where two out of three people can't stand me. Or you have not noticed that Piper can barely tolerate me and Paige hates my guts. So don't blame me if I prefer not to meet them at breakfast."

"I am not blaming you Cole," Phoebe pleaded worriedly, trying to organise all new memories, which started to appear in her head. "I just don't want us to start the day being angry with each other."

Her words had an effect and she noticed how his face softened. He set down next to her, "I am not angry Phoebe," he said trying to sound calmer, "But I feel really frustrated. I know that you don't want to leave your sisters and I can even understand why, but it does not change the fact that we can't live in one house. So unless you agree to move out from the Manor I just don't see how we are going to get through this."

"But Cole..." she started.

"No, Phoebe, let me finish. I have been trying really hard to repair the relationship with your family but it just does not work. Instead it gets worse and worse every day. I am half expecting to find poison in my coffee. I am not saying that it's only their fault but it's obvious to me that we can't live under one roof anymore. There is too much baggage between us." He stopped noticing her sagged shoulders and sighed. "Look," he tried to sound gently, "I want to be with you but I can't do it here. And I was serious yesterday about moving out and the sooner the better."

Phoebe looked at his tired face and her heart fell. "But, Cole," she started carefully. "You know how things are here, we need the power of three and with the baby coming and Leo gone we need to stick together."

He stared at her for a moment and then got up and headed to the door. "Cole," she cried out after him, "You can't just leave like that, we need to talk."

He stopped in his tracks and turned round, "Talk about what, Phoebe?" he demanded angrily. "The fact that I don't understand the situation? Or that the Charmed Ones' duty always comes first? I've heard it all before and I have tried my best to fit into the Power of Three life but it does not work. Don't you see it? We are not a family anymore."

Phoebe could not contain herself anymore. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. She risked so much to get Cole back, even went against personal gain rules. All this just so that could yell at each other. She heard Cole sigh. He approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Phoebe, don't cry," he said tiredly. "I know this is difficult. But we'll figure out a way."

"I don't want to lose you", she whispered through sobs.

"You won't," he put his arm around her shoulders.

Phoebe snuggled to him. It felt so great to be close to him, to be able to breath in his smell. She lifted her head and kissed him. He responded but quickly pulled away. "I have to go," he said gently.

"Why?" she asked breathlessly.

"Because I have to read this contract we've been working on. We are supposed to sign it at noon and we have a board meeting at DLM at 8 to discuss whether we are going to accept the deal."

He got up and Phoebe felt strong disappointment and resentment, "Will she be there?" she asked annoyed.

"Who?" Cole picked up his briefcase again.

"This blond bitch Nicole Berg."

"Phoebe," Cole sighed tiredly, "Will you stop with this whole jealousy thing? It does not suit you." And before she managed to retort he opened the door, "Call me if you need me." With these words he left and Phoebe stayed in her bedroom staring after him.

xxxxxxxxx

Elizabeth looked through the dark red liquid, "Are you sure it does not have any side effects?" she asked suspiciously.

The creature sitting next to the table shook his head, "Have I ever been wrong, Belthora? Or have I ever lied to you?"

Elizabeth stopped studying the liquid and turned to the table, "No," she admitted, "But this is no ordinary potion. I need this to work but at the same time I don't want anything bad happening to her. She is my son's fiancé."

"If you don't want to do it than just don't. You were the one who asked me for this potion."

"I know," the demoness snapped. "But you know as well that I can't just sit and do nothing."

"Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do," her companion remarked philosophically.

"But not when my son's life is at stake."

A pair of penetrating eyes stared at her sternly, "The future holds secrets that even I can't read," the prophet spoke solemnly, "And it's better not to meddle with it. You were wise so far not to interfere too much and let things go their own way. Don't mess it up now."

Elizabeth sighed and started passing around the room, "I don't know," she said finally, "Maybe I should have just killed her? If she was dead there would not be even a chance of him risking his life to save her and their child?"

"No," the prophet shot in a commanding voice. "You know perfectly well that his destiny is tied to hers. Without her - his life would be doomed, with her - he has a chance. And deep in your heart you want them to be together. That's why you don't want to harm her and you did everything in your power to bring them together. You've done your share. Now you have to wait and hope for the best."

"But it's my son. I can't just sit and wait for him to die."

"Well, I am afraid you're going to have to. Listen to me, Belthora, whatever happens, Belthazor will rise to glory no magical beings have ever achieved. This is a destiny that any demoness can only wish for her son."

"No mother can wish her child to face a death threat," Elizabeth exclaimed emotions showing on her face.

"But so far he's been really good in avoiding it," her companion objected. "I told you that the danger in the next 6 months would be the gravest. That's why I've agreed to give you this potion. I believe that the knowledge of the future is given to us for a reason, so we could prepare ourselves and avoid the danger. But no one can change his or her destiny. In case of Belthazor, his life is linked to the existence of the whole Universe and so does his fiancé. I can feel it but I don't know what it is. The truth is shielded even from me."

Elizabeth sighed, "I hate not being able to do anything," she admitted finally.

"You've done everything you could," the prophet assured her, "and you have the knowledge, which will allow you to be prepared. But for the sake of your son, stop here, don't try to interfere more than you have done already and especially don't tell him what you know if you want to save his life."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Cole arrived to work he was in a shit mood. Again he had a fight with Phoebe. It was becoming a regular event for them. And no matter how many times he told himself that they were merely going through a rough patch, deep in his heart he started to suspect that it was not just that. Him and Phoebe always seemed to have a rough patch. Of course a lot of stress was brought in by the magical side of their lives but somehow Cole felt that their problems lied deeper.

Ever since he got back from the Wasteland he had tried to rebuild his relationship with Phoebe and with her family. The second part had failed utterly and completely, where as his marriage seemed to carry on. But it was not easy. Cole snapped out of his gloomy musings. He did not have time for that. His life was hectic enough, juggling his job, being one of the Chosen Two and a husband of the Charmed One was not easy. Sometimes he felt that his life was spinning out of his control.

"You are early today," he heard a soft voice. The half demon lifted his head and his eyes met with the pair of green ones belonging to Nicole Berg.

For a second he just stared at her. She was so beautiful that every time Cole saw her he forgot to breath. He shook his head and smiled at her, "Just wanted to be ready for our meeting." He pointed at the contract opened in front of him. "But you?" he looked at the clock hanging above the doorframe, "it's only seven and you are already here?!"

She shrugged, "I could not sleep," she explained simply. "Too much thoughts in my head. With everything going on..." she did not finish her sentence but he did not need it. Cole understood her perfectly well.

"I know," he said gently, "But we'll get through it."

She nodded and turned to leave. "I'll see you at the meeting," she said looking up at him and he had familiar feeling of drowning in her eyes.

"Yep," he managed to say trying his best to tear his eyes from her. When she left the half demon pushed the contract away and buried his face in his hands. This was getting out of hands. Since the first time he saw her Cole was drawn to Nicole, almost against his will. And it was getting stronger with every day he knew her. At first he thought that it was because of their magical connection. Being the Chosen Two they shared a link, which allowed them to exchange thoughts, powers and even multiply their abilities. But as time went on, Cole realised that Nicole became his friend. He trusted her explicitly. He could tell her anything and not fear that she would not understand. He never felt as relaxed as when she was with him. She was the closest person to him, maybe with the exception of Phoebe. And for sure Nicole knew about him more than the rest of the world combined including his wife.

Cole rubbed his face and quickly got up. It was wrong of him, completely wrong. He was a married man. Phoebe was his soul mate. She went through so much to be with him and deserved better than that. "She also killed you," a voice at the back of his head told him. But Cole squashed it. It did not matter. He loved Phoebe. And he knew she loved him. Everything else was not important.

xxxxxxxxx

When Phoebe got downstairs she found Piper and Paige already there. They were chatting and greeted their sister distantly.

"Where is your demonic husband?" Paige sneered.

Phoebe did not like her expression but she decided to stay calm until she had a better idea of what was going on here.

"He's gone to work," she said calmly. "He has an important meeting."

"Of course," Piper's mouth twisted into a caustic smile. "Making another plan to take over the world. I wonder what he is going to invent this time."

"Does not matter," Paige remarked derisively. "He'll find something, then he'll try to kill us, we'll vanquish him and then he'll pop back up as if nothing's happened, apologise and our Phoebe here will take him back. And then everything will start again."

"Hey," Phoebe could not contain her anger, "I am standing right here. Don't you think you could use a little more tact when talking about me and my husband?"

"Why?" Paige stared at her. "So that we can all pretend that we get on? I think it's a little too late for that, Phoebes."

The middle Halliwell looked at hostile faces of her sisters. "Why are you doing this to me," she asked tears standing in her eyes. "Don't you understand that I love him, and I can't live without him?"

Piper who so far did not say much looked at her sister crossly, "Oh, I understand, Phoebe. But can you understand us? Do you think it's easy for us to watch you putting yourself in danger time after time? How many chances have you given Cole and how did they all end? You maybe are prepared to risk again and again. But I have already lost one sister and watching you put your own and our lives in danger is too much for me."

Phoebe looked around wildly, "But he is different now," she said unsurely. "And I believe we can make it work. We just need to be open about it."

"Open?!" Paige interrupted her, "Phoebe, wake up. Cole is a demon. Nothing can change him, he's evil. I was sure that you thought the same. And I still don't understand what happened to you six months ago when you brought him back into our lives. And I don't understand how you can be so selfish as to put us in such danger especially with the baby coming and Leo gone."

The frustration Phoebe felt spilled out. She jumped to her feet and glared at Paige. "So you want us to move out?" she yelled. "Well, just say so and we will leave tomorrow."

Piper shook her head, "We don't want you to move out Phoebe, we have to stick together especially with the reorganisation of the Underworld. We are just trying to make you see the reality and finally get rid of your obsession with Cole."

The middle Halliwell looked at her sister's faces and her heart sank. Everything here was completely wrong. "He is not my obsession," she said in a chocked voice, "He is the love of my life."

xxxxxxxxx

"Nicole," Cole called after the young woman when she was leaving the board meeting of DLM investment. She turned around and waited for him to catch up with her. They headed towards their offices and as always when he was close Nicole felt a knot forming in her stomach. "I wanted to ask you a favour," Cole said hesitantly, "Can you meet with Leo on your own today?"

She looked at him slightly surprised, "Sure," she said. "No problem." Her eyes looked at him worriedly, "Is everything Okay?"

He smiled lightly, "Yeah, everything is fine. I just want to take the afternoon off so I can pick up Phoebe and maybe go somewhere with her."

"Ah," Nicole forced a smile on her face. "Good idea," she stopped in front of her office trying to sound calm and wishing that she could just hide behind the door. "Don't worry, I'll meet with Leo on my own."

"Thanks," Cole smiled at her, "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," she replied and hurried to disappear into her office.

Cole stared after her for a moment feeling almost a physical pull to go after her. He shook his head and went into his office.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Elizabeth left the wooden hut in the Signa plain, she shimmered into her Underworld apartment where she was supposed to meet her son. But he was not there. She shook her head disapprovingly and shimmered to the Penthouse. To her surprise he was not there either. The whole place looked very differently as if nobody had lived there for several months. This time Elizabeth felt really worried. She tried to sense her son and quickly located him in his office. But what the hell was he doing there, when they were supposed to prepare for the evening wedding ceremony. Not risking shimmering to his work, the demoness decided to use human technology. She picked up her mobile phone and dialled his office number,

"Good afternoon, Cole Turner's office," she heard the secretaries voice, "can I help you?"

"Yes, I would like to speak to Cole Turner," the demoness asked politely.

"I am sorry, he has just left the office for the rest of the day. Do you want to live a message?"

"No," Elizabeth sighed with relief, "I'll catch him on his cell." She hung up and shimmered back into her Underworld apartment expecting to see him there. But the place was still empty. The demoness cursed and shimmered out. She reappeared in a parking garage and from a distance could see her son getting into the car.

"Cole," she called after him at the last moment remembering to use his human name.

He lifted his head and looked at her surprised. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

She headed towards him, her eyes glimmering angrily, "I think it is you who should explain what the hell are you doing here?"

He stared at her in surprise, "I don't know what you're talking about," he finally said confusion obvious on his face.

Elizabeth seared her son with a glare, "Belthazor, what about the wedding?"

Cole frowned, "What wedding?" he asked puzzled.

The demoness heaved a frustrated sigh, "Your wedding, Belthazor. Which is to take place tonight."

The puzzled expression on his face turned into a worried frown. "Mother," he said warily, "I am already married." He lifted his hand so she could see his ring, "For the last nine months."

It was Elizabeth's turn to look confused. "What?" she asked. "But how is it possible? You and Nicole only got engaged less than a month ago."

Cole's eyes became icy, "Is this some kind of a joke?" he asked. "Because it's not funny. You know perfectly well that I am married to Phoebe. And even if you disapprove of it, it's the fact of life and you'll have to live with it."

Elizabeth stared at him, her brain working wildly. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong. And there could be only one explanation. Somebody had created an alternative reality. And this was dangerous especially considering the prophecy. The demoness took a deep breath to calm down. She forced herself to smile.

"I am sorry, Belthazor," she mumbled feverishly thinking of an explanation. "It was my mistake," she stepped back into the shadow of a concrete wall. "I'll better go," she added and shimmered out.

Cole stared after his mother in total shock. She was acting really weird, as if she knew about his dream. Last night he dreamt that he and Nicole were getting married today. It was so realistic that when he woke up it took him a while to realise it was not real.

He ran his hand through his hair trying to concentrate his thoughts on picking up Phoebe. Some quality time just with the two of them would do a lot of good to their relationship and maybe they will figure out a way to sort things out.

When Cole got to the office building where Bay Mirror was situated he headed straight to the elevator. He did not tell Phoebe that he was coming. It would be nice to surprise her for a change and not by blurring behind her. They could spend the afternoon like normal people. He strolled towards her office and opened the door without knocking. The view that greeted him was very different from what he expected. Phoebe was standing next to her desk and her boss Jason Dean was kissing her. The next moment she pushed him away, "Cole..." she uttered.

He stared at her for a minute than turned around and headed towards the elevator.

"Cole!" Phoebe called out after him, "Wait, I can explain..." She ran towards the door but it slammed in her face. She tried to open it but in vain. Her husband did not even have to turn his head but his magic sealed the door better than a lock. Only when he disappeared into the elevator Phoebe managed to open the door, she rushed out but stopped half way. It was too late. By now Cole had already blurred away to the places she did not even know existed.

Her shoulders sagged as she returned to her office.

"Phoebe," Jason called after her, "I am sorry, I did not mean for our relationship to come out like that."

The witch just stared through him her eyes filled with tears, "Why?" she whispered, "Why? Was it just not meant to be?"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Nicole blurred back behind her uncle's house and slowly walked to the front door. She was totally knackered. It has been a long day and emotionally draining one. She smiled bitterly to herself. Every day now was emotionally draining. Ever since she met this damn Cole Turner, her life was a constant struggle devoted to suppressing her feelings for him or at least hiding them.

She rounded the corner and stopped. The object of her thoughts was sitting on the porch, his head buried in his arms.

"Cole?" she asked carefully.

He lifted his head and smiled, "Hi," he said getting up. "I was not sure where you were meeting Leo so I decided to wait for you here."

He looked tired and somehow strange but Nicole could not pinpoint what it was that was different about him. "Are you Okay?" she asked concerned.

"I am fine," he gave her a reassuring smile and added softly, "especially now."

She could not understand what he meant but the intensity of his gaze made her uneasy. She busied herself with finding a key and then slipped passed him to open the front door, "I thought you were spending the afternoon with Phoebe," she remarked trying to figure out what had brought him here.

Cole smiled distractedly, "It was just a plan, you know, how these things are. Did not work out."

He followed her into the house. Nicole could feel him staring at her back. She placed her bag on a small table and was about to walk into the living room when she felt his hand on her shoulder. The young woman froze and swirled around coming face to face with Cole.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, his hand caressing her cheek. "Unbelievable."

Nicole's insides turned upside down. She back away from him, "Cole, are you drunk?" she asked her eyes searching his face.

"No," he answered quickly. She lifted her eyebrow and he sighed, "Well not any more," he admitted. And when she turned away, he caught her hand, "I am not lying to you," he said firmly. "3 cups of coffee, an icy shower and half an hour of blurring through different dimensions usually get the alcohol out of your system," a small smile touched his lips and quickly disappeared. He lowered his head so his eyes looked straight into hers, "I would never come to you drunk, Nicole, not to do what I came here for. I respect you way too much for that."

His mouth came down on hers and Nicole was lost. His lips were soft and demanding at the same time and she felt as if she was going to fall, but his hands wrapped around her waist pressing her against his body. He deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth. Nicole felt herself melting in his arms. But a small voice at the back of her head was screaming at her to stop, to stop now, when she at least can pretend that there was something left of her pride. It took all her will power to pull away from him. She staggered back,

"No," she uttered, "no...please, Cole... Don't do this to me..."

He did no move, his eyes sparkling at her. "I won't let you go," he said quietly, "I know how you feel about me Nicole. That night after you came back from Oris, during the ceremony, I learnt everything."

She reddened and then her eyes sparkled furiously, "It does not matter," she shot. "You are a married man and I am not going to be your mistress, even if it costs me part of my foolish heart."

"I am not asking you to be my mistress," he exclaimed with outrage. "How could you even think I would offer you something like that?!" He took a deep breath trying to come down, "I don't want to live with Phoebe anymore. I don't love her. I want to be with you and only you."

She stared at him, her heart flaring with hope but her mind was throwing buckets of icy on it. Nicole sighed, "Cole, please... I don't know what happened between you and Phoebe, but if you have any feelings for me, leave me out of this. As things are now I can deal with whatever feelings I have for you. I can work with you, we are a good team and maybe even good friends. But if we cross this line there won't be a way back. And we have an important task to finish. You and Phoebe have been through rough patches before and you always managed to find a way out. Your love is very strong. You'll figure it out this time as you did in the past because you were meant for each other, you are soul mates."

"We are not meant for each other," he yelled, and seeing her wince added calmer, "and we are definitely not soul mates. Listen to me, Nicole. I am not going to lie to you. I thought the same things before. That me and Phoebe were destined to be together. But I learnt the hard way that it was not true. And you know why? Because me and Phoebe never trusted each other. She was always scared about me returning to evil whatever it means in the Halliwell's codes of practice. And I always was scared that she would choose her sisters over me. And we both were proven right. I think our love, or whatever it was that we had, took a final blow when she vanquished me. You know yourself what it means to die. Well I died twice. Once when Belthazor was stripped from me. And then when the Charmed Ones killed the Source and me alongside him. And every time my wife was involved in my death, though I never wanted to see it that way. After Belthazor was gone and when I was in the Wasteland, even after I got back I needed something to live for. In the Underworld I worked for the money and power. With Phoebe I fought to be with her. My humanity did not allow me to go back to my old demonic life and I did not know any better. So I clung to Phoebe as the only thing I had. But since I met you my life has changed. Being one of the Chosen Two and a Lugel gave me a goal. But it did not fill the emptiness in my heart. You did that. I never had such strong feelings for a woman in my life than I have for you. I want you all: your mind, your body and your soul. And I will fight anything and anybody that stands on my way so I could be with you." He took a step closer to her and took her hand in his. "Please give us a chance, Nicole," he whispered. "What we have is too good to miss."

She stared at him tears standing in her eyes. Her whole being was torn apart. She finally managed to find her voice, "I don't want to be hurt again, Cole," she whispered, "I..." she swallowed harshly, "I won't be able to live with myself if you decide one day to go back to Phoebe."

He lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him, "Look at me Nicole. Today I saw my wife kissing another man. And you know what I felt? Relief. I was relieved that it was not just me who understood that we were not "destined to be together". I felt free. That I can finally move on and start my life with you." He paused and then added quietly, "I am not a saint, Nicole, and never was. But I swear to you that I will do everything I can to make you happy. If you let me..."

He was standing so close to her, his eyes sparkling like sapphires. And Nicole could not resist it. She made a small step towards him and was immediately captured by his arms. His lips came down on hers and both were lost. They kissed for ages, his hands travelling up and down her back and her fingers running through his hair. Very slowly without stopping to kiss they made their way to the living room. Her jacket and blouse disappeared and his lips travelled from her lips towards her neck. Nicole moaned. His jacket and shirt followed her clothes and he pressed her against him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, allowing him to lift her up and they blurred to the bedroom. There he laid her on the bed and set next to her his eyes taking in every line of her body. "God," he whispered running his hand from her neck down, "I thought that it would never happen to me, only in my dreams."

Her body shivered under his touch and her eyes darkened. He lied down next to her and his hand travelled down her belly caressing her thigh and started slowly moving up. Nicole could feel her blood igniting. Her mind was screaming at her, that it was her last chance to stop it and instinctively her hand lied on his chest ready to push him away. If he made one more move she probably would have done it. But as if he read her thoughts he removed his hand and pulled away slightly. Blue eyes stared at her and his voice sounded in her head, "I won't do anything you are not ready for. But I will not go away either." It was the last drop and Nicole's mind lost the battle with her heart. She closed the space between them, her lips searching for his and her hands caressing his chest. It was more than he could take. He rolled on top of her, pinning her arms above her head, his hands and mouth exploring every inch of her body. A soft moan escaped her lips and it was enough to make him lose control. He needed to be one with her, to lose himself inside her and when he made his move he could feel her opening up to him. Their bodies moved in unison. It was like magic. It was bliss.

They lied in each other's arms, feeling as if they were floating somewhere in another dimension. Nicole was feeling empty, her mind completely blank. She did not know what would happen next and did not dare to ask. She wanted to enjoy this moment, to imprint it in her mind. So if it was never going to happen again, she would at least have this memory. She felt Cole's arms tighten around her and lifted her head so she could see his face. He smiled at her and there was so much warmth in his eyes that Nicole felt tears building up in her throat.

"I want to spend this night with you," he whispered softly, "Tomorrow I will face the world and sort things out. But tonight I want to be with you."

She stiffened, her eyes trying to avoid his. He lifted her chin, "What's wrong?" he asked. "Did I say something or..." he trailed off, his eyes widening at the thought that he might have hurt her.

"No," she whispered, her finger caressing his cheek. "It's just..." she paused trying to collect her courage, "I don't know what would happen next."

He shrugged, "I am going to get a divorce, and then we will get married and be together."

Green eyes stared at him, "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course, I am sure," he exclaimed, "I told you I wanted to be with you. Did you think I would just leave things as they are?"

Nicole did not know what to say, she buried her head in his chest, "I don't know..." she whispered, "I've never been "another woman"."

He stroked her hair lightly, "You are not another woman," he said slowly, "You are the one I was meant to be with. And I love you more than the words can say."

xxxxxxxxxx

Phoebe woke up with a startle, "Cole," she called. But nobody answered. She looked at the clock. It was 6 am. She must have fallen asleep. Last night after unsuccessful attempts to find Cole, she returned to her room and started her horrible night of waiting. At first she paced around the room but then her despair took the better of her and she started crying. Crying because her life was such a mess, and this reality was not any better than the other. She must have cried herself to sleep and now it was morning and she had no idea of what to do.

A sound of a shimmer made her perk up and she saw Cole appearing in the bedroom.

"Cole," she cried out, "Where have you been? I was worried sick."

He looked at her strangely, "I am fine," he said finally. "You should not have worried."

"But you left so abruptly yesterday..." she continued, "And I could not find you, I even tried scrying for you."

He lifted his hand trying to stop her, "We need to talk, Phoebe," he said sternly.

"Of course," she said. "I wanted to explain everything yesterday, I was trying to find you. It did not mean anything, Cole, believe me." She would have continued to bubble but Cole interrupted her.

"It does not matter," his voice sounded unusually grim, "It does not work between us, Phoebe. And I think it is time to put an end to this." He paused and added quietly, "I want a divorce... I am sorry."

She stared at him in disbelief, "You are not serious," she whispered finally. And when he nodded, she exploded. "How can you do this? After everything you said, after you were begging me to take you back. What happened to "I am not giving up on you, Phoebe, ever?"

He lifted his head and stared at her, his eyes sparkling defiantly, "I have changed," he stated firmly. "I became wiser and realised that we don't have a future. Actually we never had one."

"Don't say it," she yelled in his face. "We were destined to be together. And you know it. It's just your hurt ego that won't let you go of a stupid incident."

Cole laughed bitterly, "You think I am bothered about you kissing your boss? If anything I felt relieved. It meant that both of us were ready to move on. And I did not have to feel guilty."

"You're lying." she yelled, "You arrogant son-of-a-bitch. Don't tell me that it was because we both were ready to move on. All you wanted was an excuse and now you are ruining our marriage so you can go and screw this blond bitch."

Anger flared in his eyes, "You are calling this a marriage?" he retorted, "Phoebe, wake up. This stopped being a marriage a long time ago, we were just not willing to face it. Marriage is based on trust and love. And we lack both."

"I love you," she screamed, "I risked everything for you. I stuck with you even when the whole world was against you."

"And you also killed me," he remarked coldly.

She paled, "I had no choice, you were going to kill my sisters."

"I was fighting to save them," he yelled. "Gees, Phoebe, have you every thought how did it feel to be possessed? To be trapped in my own body and not have any power over it. Being constantly tortured mentally into a total exhaustion, when I thought I was going mad? Every day I had to fight to keep you and your sisters alive. And you did not even try to save me, did not even consider the possibility that I was possessed. I could have expected it from Paige, but you, my wife, the woman who claimed she loved me."

"I was scared and confused," she shouted, "You turned me evil. You made me pregnant with an evil child."

He rolled his eye, "A child can't be evil, Phoebe. No matter who are his parents. Our son was very powerful and you being stressed out of your brain did not help. So his powers went haywire. That's all it was."

"I don't believe you," she whispered deadly pale. "He was evil. And it was not our child, it was the child of the Source."

His eyes filled with pity. "Phoebe, we lost our child to evil, that's true." He paused for a second and added in a distant voice, "Everything else does not matter anymore."

She stared at him, "Why do you hate me so much?" she asked quietly.

Cole sighed exasperated, "I don't hate you. In some sense I am very grateful to you. You awakened my humanity. And for that I owe you more than I can ever repay. All I am saying is that we both tried our best, but it was never meant to be."

"That's not true."

"Oh, yes, it is. Phoebe, from the moment you found out about Belthazor, you never trusted me, you were always scared that I would turn evil. And I was always scared that if it ever came to it you would choose your sisters over me. And we both were right. I can't live by your rules. All these personal gain stuff. It's not for me. I was a demon for over a hundred years. And though I have changed I would still do things you would never be able to accept. Just like you always be first a sister, than a witch and only after that a wife. And I am not saying it's wrong, I am just saying that it's not enough for me. Call it demonic possessiveness, but I want my wife to put me and our children first."

"And you think that Nicole Berg would do that?" she asked caustically, trying to contain her tears.

Cole seared her with a cool glare, "Leave her out of this," he said coldly.

"Don't tell me what to do," she yelled, "you are dumping me so you can be with her. Something tells me that if this blond bitch was not around you would be much more interested in working on our relationship."

Cole was about to retort, but he restrained himself, "You can think whatever you want Phoebe." He said tiredly, "In all honesty I don't care anymore. I have given up long time ago on trying to convince you of anything. If it's any consolation to you, I am very sorry that it ended this way." He gave her one last look and shimmered out.

Phoebe just sat on the bed staring into space. Her hopes were destroyed. All her efforts were for nothing. Cole did not love her, they were simply not meant to be.

She heard her sisters walking in but did not react. Paige and Piper just hugged her. But the family scene was interrupted by a sudden shimmer. A statuesque looking woman appeared in the room.

"Demon," Paige yelled.

Piper raised her hands but her powers had no effect on the woman.

"Don't bother," she said briskly, "You powers won't work on me witch. Plus I am here to talk."

"Who the hell are you?" Paige asked.

"My name is Elizabeth Turner. Belthazor is my son."

Three sisters stared at her. "Well, he is not here," Phoebe informed the woman anger igniting in her. "And he won't be coming back."

The demoness seared her with a contemptuous glare, "But he was not even supposed to be here, was he?"

Phoebe blanched and her sisters exchanged confused looks. "What are you talking about?" Piper asked.

The demoness smiled ironically, "Ask your sister?"

Paige and Piper stared at Phoebe. The middle Halliwell breathed in harshly, "How did you find out?" she turned to the older woman.

"I was in another realm," Elizabeth explained. "You little time travel did not affect me but it affected the rest and I suggest you do something to return all of us to the real world until something really bad happens."

Paige's face turned suspicious, "Phoebe, what have you done?" she asked warily.

Her sister hesitated for a moment. "I went back in time to stop myself from divorcing Cole."

"But it's personal gain, Phoebe." Piper exclaimed horrified.

Phoebe swirled round, "Do I look like I care, Piper?" she shouted. "Magic owes me."

"But it is not going to pay the debt," Elizabeth remarked. "You messed with the things you have no idea about. The real course of events will restore itself. What we don't know is how many people will suffer as a result of your foolish stunt."

"Phoebe, why would you even do such a thing?" Piper asked.

"I wanted to be with Cole," Phoebe said quietly.

Her sisters fell quiet but Elizabeth just snorted, "Any success?"

Phoebe was not in the mood to listen to her sarcasm. "It's none of your business," she snarled.

The demoness became serious, "Oh, yes it is. You tried to ruin my son's life. And I won't let it happen. Why you did it is beyond me?"

"You won't understand," Phoebe hissed, "It's called love."

"You call that love?" Elizabeth enquired. "Love is not just saying the words "I love you". Love means trust, support. And you could never give this to Belthazor."

"I could," Phoebe yelled, "Before he became the Source, we were so happy. He was a human and we had a whole life ahead of us."

The demoness shook her head, "My son was never a human," she said calmly. "Yes, you stripped his powers. But his demonic blood did not disappear with them. And if you had children they would have Belthazor's genes in them. Would you be prepared to bring up a child who had demonic powers? Maybe even more powerful than his father?"

Phoebe did not reply. She felt tired, lost, almost dead inside. Her attempt ended up in disaster. She turned to the demoness and asked flatly, "What do you want me to do?"

"I need to know which moment in time did you travel too?"

Phoebe sighed, "XXX March 2003. The Palace of Justice. I stopped myself from divorcing Cole that day."

Elizabeth nodded, "I'll take it from here," she said coolly and turned to leave. Before shimmering away she looked at the Charmed sisters, "I suggest that you stay away from my son," her voice sounded commanding. "If you don't want your lives ruined forever." With these words she disappeared.

xxxxxxxxx

Cole and Nicole were curled up together on a couch in the Schwarzlight Mansion. His lips just reached her earlobe and Nicole moaned loudly. "Cole..."

He grinned and his tongue travelled down her neck, "If you want to ask for a break," he whispered into her skin, "I will have to disappoint you. I have been waiting so long to be with you that I am planning to lock us in for the next three days."

She smiled and moaned at the same time. She closed her eyes and felt as if she was spinning down the vortex. Her real life was starting now.


	14. Chapter 14

Hi everybody! Thanks very much for the kind reviews. Here is the next chapter. As usual, let me know.

Chapter 14 

Eleven Lugels were gathered for another emergency meeting, and many of them were starting to think that it was about time to rename these meetings into weekly emergency summits. Dorian sighed tiredly and continued his update, "Thankfully the alternative reality created by Phoebe Halliwell has been reverted to normal without any serious consequences. It seems that Elizabeth Turner had travelled into the past and prevented Miss Halliwell from changing the course of events, which was what triggered the alternative universe in the first place."

The members of the Council sighed with relief. But one of them was not content with this explanation.

"I don't understand," Celina's voice rang with agitation, "Why did not we interfere earlier?"

Dorian to whom she directed her question, shrugged, "You should ask why this reality change had affected the Chosen Two at all. They are even more powerful than us! If we could feel that the Charmed Ones little trip to the past had resulted in creation of the alternative universe, they should have felt it as well."

"Well, then, why?" Celina demanded, looking around the Lugel's Council

"I don't know for sure," Dorian looked thoughtful. "But I am convinced it was some sort of a test for the Chosen Two. Before the prophecy is fulfilled, this was the last check. To see if they were really destined to be together."

"But I thought there was no doubt!" Sylvester remarked concerned.

Dorian shrugged, "I don't know, I don't have an explanation. But I did not want to interfere. We are entering a very serious stage, after tonight there would be no way back and the lives of the Chosen Two are at stake here. And with them the rest of the Universe."

The Lugel Council fell into a tensed silence, which was interrupted by Vladimir, "I don't think we will find the answers here, but I want to attract the Council's attention to one important point in this whole accident. The fact that Elizabeth Turner was not affected by the change as well. She is not the Source yet and no demon is powerful enough not to be affected by the reality change."

Radgiv' eyes sparkled suspiciously, "What are you getting at, Vladimir?"

"I don't know," the Eastern European Lugel answered, "I don't have an explanation but I think it is obvious that this demoness has a very special place in the Prophecy."

"Good or bad?" Radgiv asked. "Is she our enemy or is she our friend?"

Vladimir shrugged, "I don't know," he said for the second time. "But as we have not interfered into the reality change created by the Charmed One, I sincerely doubt we should interfere into Elizabeth Turner's destiny."

Carlos who stayed quiet so far raised his voice, "I don't like this," he said suspiciously, "There are too many things we don't know. It's never happened to us before. And since it might be the most important mission in our existence I don't see how we can take such risk."

"We don't have an alternative," Celina remarked calmly, "It's too late to go back and, if anything, this ordeal had proven that our Chosen Two were destined to be together." She paused and added thoughtfully, "William told me once that we would have to face a lot of uncertainty if we were to try and bring together this peace deal. You all know how he liked mathematical abstractions. He said there would be too many variables and the Lugels would have to learn to trust their intuition, not the facts."

Dorian nodded, "I agree with this. And therefore I am putting this to the vote. We'll keep going as planned. Nothing changes. Except I would recommend all of you to be constantly vigilant. We are entering the final stage and I don't have to remind you what is at stake." The hooded figures nodded in agreement.

When Celina got home, she went straight into her office. She unlocked a safe hidden behind the painting and pulled out a small a small folder. She whispered a short spell and it disappeared leaving an old photograph lying on the table. The woman stared at the picture, her face filled with emotions. "William," she whispered. "I so much wish you were here." She fell silent just staring at the picture of a blond haired man in his forties hugging a petite dark haired woman. The sound of the bell startled her. She waved her hand and the folder disappeared. Celina checked that the safe was hidden properly and headed to the door.

"Vladimir," she exclaimed opening the door. "What..." She stopped realizing that he question was about to sound rude. He smiled at her and finished her question,

"Am I doing here?"

She returned his smile, "Come in," she offered, "I am glad to see you."

She led him to a living room and without asking poured him a glass of brandy.

"So what brought you here?" she asked again sitting opposite him. "I thought you don't like spending time in the US."

Vladimir smiled wryly, "I wanted to make sure, you were okay," he answered calmly and seeing her raised eyebrows added, "It's my own initiative, Dorian did not send me. Plus," he continued, "I wanted to tell you some of my thoughts, which I did not want to share with the rest."

Celina perked up, "What thoughts?" she asked wary.

"Why the reality switch affected the Chosen Two," he explained nonchalantly.

"And why is it?" she asked tensing.

"I think it happened to make sure that Belthazor's feelings for Nicole are real."

She looked at him questioningly.

"I mean, all of us doubted that he had really moved on from his relationship with the Charmed One. And we both know that Nicole had similar fears. Now at least we know that he's truly over it. And if occasion comes we can tell Nicole about it."

Celina thought about his words and her face brightened up, "I think you are right," she agreed her eyes sparkling, "I have not thought about it. But such knowledge is very helpful to us and to Nicole for that matter."

He hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, "I think there are two more ladies who had to learn the truth." Her eyes stared at him questioningly. "I mean the Charmed One and Belthazor's mother. In case of the first one she needed to learn the lesson that her and Cole were not meant to be. And Belthora needed to learn that her son's destiny is tied to Nicole and his happiness lies with her and only her. Now she would become the most powerful ally the Chosen Two could hope for. And she will protect Nicole as much as she's protecting her son."

Celina listened to him with acute interest. "Why did not you tell all this to the rest of the Council," she asked finally.

"Because I don't have any proof for it and also because I know that for you this is more than just a part of the Lugel mission." Celina paled and turned away from him. "I did not mean to embarrass you," he assured her gently, "I would have been surprised if it was otherwise."

She did not say anything and he sighed. "I am going to go," he got up from his seat.

Celina nodded and followed him into the hallway. His hand had already reached for the handle when he stopped and looked at her, "Be careful, Celina. Emotions are dangerous in our missions," his voice sounded almost pleadingly.

She looked at him defiantly, "I made a promise, Vladimir. And I won't break it."

He sighed, resigning to her decision, "I know," a sad smile touched his lips, "And I hope that everything will end well... for all of us."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Cole was pacing his mother's apartment. He was already dressed in a ceremonial robe and had nothing else to do except wait untill it was time to go. He hated waiting. Demons did not wait, well except for the Source, but in that case nobody was really in a rush to see him. The half demon stared at the bottle of scotch. This always made the waiting easier. He shook his head. Not tonight. For God's sake it was his wedding day and also the coronation of his mother as the next Source. "All in all an eventful day," he smirked to himself thinking for already umpteens time what an understatement it was. Cole did not like elevated speeches but he fully appreciated that today was a start of the new era in the whole magic world. He sighed: bringing this new era was not easy. They were dealing with many forces and had to be very careful in keeping all sides satisfied and on board. For the last months Cole and Nicole ordered, charmed, threatened and manipulated, used their powers together with the old fashioned carrot and stick approach. But things kept popping up so Leo, Elizabeth, her council and all Lugels were working around the clock to keep everything on track. The latest development was warlocks deciding that they wanted the wedding and the coronation to happen on the same day. This would emphasise their new place in the Underworld hierarchy and especially the fact that a warlock was joining the Source's family and becoming the princess of the Underworld. After discussing it Elizabeth and her council decided there was no great harm in agreeing. So the two ceremonies were to go one after another. Cole sighed again, they worked for so long to come this far, but it was just the beginning...

The sound of a shimmer interrupted his thoughts. He sighed with relief, Elizabeth was finally here.

"Belthazor," she greeted studying his face. "How are you?"

Cole looked at her surprised. His mother was not the one for the casual chit chat. "Fine," he mumbled not knowing what she wanted to hear, "and you?"

"Ready for the wedding?" she asked smiling brightly and completely ignoring the question.

Cole's eyebrows shot up, "As you can see," he muttered pointing at his robe. She smiled, a relief obvious on her face. The half demon eyed her warily, "Mother, are you okay?" he asked finally.

"I am great", she answered smiling warmly finally allowing herself to relax: his obvious surprise being an ultimate proof that she managed to reverse the reality back to normal.

If Cole was not so preoccupied with his own thought he might have questioned her further, but his mind was too busy with other sings, so he just shrugged and asked her curiously, "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I had to run some errands. Big day with the wedding and coronation, lots of things to organise."

He nodded and sat down in a chair pulling up the sleeves of his robes, "I hate these ceremonial gowns," he complained. "Could never understand why are we still wearing them. Humans got rid of these things years ago."

"Never thought you minded them so much." Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows. He did not answer and just shot her a dark look. Elizabeth sighed impatiently, "It's just for the ceremony," she continued, "Plus you are lucky enough that you look great in robes. Not a lot of demons can say that."

The half demon scowled, "Mother, I am not gay, you know."

"But you are impatient like a little boy," she retorted and then added eyeing him inquisitively, "unless, there is something else and you are just avoiding talking about it."

Cole waved his hand annoyed, "What else can be there?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth remarked calmly, "But if you want to talk about it, I am here."

He chuckled sarcastically, "Never thought you were into counselling, Mother. It's not something you'd expect from the Source of All Evil."

Pain struck the demoness' eyes, but she contained the outburst, which was almost ready to erupt and took a deep breath, "I am your mother, Belthazor," she said calmly but very seriously. "No matter where I am or what I do, I will always be there for you. Please don't forget about it."

He stared at her in surprise. He never heard her speaking like that and wondered what had caused it. "I will remember," he answered simply.

"Good," she forced herself to smile coolly. "Now," she continued. "I have something for you, or better said, for your wife-to-be." She walked to the bureau and got out a small box, which she handed to him. He opened it and speechlessly stared at the beautiful jewellery set.

"Mother," he uttered in total shock, "but those are your favourites."

She shrugged, "I am too old for them," she answered curtly. "And anyway I want Nicole to feel that she is part of the family now. This jewellery has been in our clan for a long time, so it is only fare that she would have them. And you know, I have plenty more."

Cole was very impressed with this gift and he studied Elizabeth's face. "I have not expected you to be so forthcoming towards my marriage," he said finally. "In the past you were never keen on me getting married."

"That was different," she said forcing herself to look him straight in the eyes, "You were too young to settle. But now I think you're ready and also I have to complement you on your choice of bride." Her lips twisted into a smile, "Neither of your past girlfriends came even close to Nicole. She's a good match for you. So why should I be against it?" She shrugged and turned around to avoid his penetrating eyes. "Anyway," she continued casually, "this is not about me, it's about you, Belthazor. I have a feeling that something is bothering you."

He shook his head, "I must be really getting old if I am so transparent," he joked but Elizabeth did not pay attention to it and just raised her eyebrow questioningly.

Cole sighed, "I had a bad dream last night," he admitted. "As if I was still married to Phoebe. It brought back the memories."

Elizabeth had to bite her tongue to keep herself from crying out, "No." It could not have been happening. He could not possibly be still in love with that damn witch. What she saw in the alternative reality showed her that even there he chose Nicole over Phoebe. She counted to five and then asked in a calm voice, "Do you still love her? I mean Phoebe."

"What?" Cole asked surprise obvious on his face, "No. It's not what I am talking about. I am happy with Nicole, I believe that we were made for each other. I don't have any doubts that I want to marry her. What worries me is that we are in the middle of such a magical ordeal that has never been attempted before. I know from personal experience that when you try to manipulate magic things can end up very different from what you expected. And now I can't stop thinking that we are playing a very dangerous game here. And I hope that we won't have to pay for it." He looked into the window and added silently to himself, "And if we have to pay let it be somebody else: anybody, even myself, but not Nicole."

Elizabeth was immensely tempted to tell him everything she knew. She already opened her mouth but the warning of the prophet sounded in her head and she restrained herself. She took a step closer to her son, wishing for a second that he was still a little boy whom she could take away and protect. She stretched her hand and touched his shoulder. He turned around looking at her surprised. The demoness immediately regretted her impulse and pulled her hand back. But Cole stopped her and took her palm in his.

"Things will be fine, Belthazor," Elizabeth said warmly and as if reading his thoughts added, "for both of you. I always knew you were destined for great things, from the moment I was pregnant with you. And I believe in it even more now." She took a deep breath and added in a lighter tone, "Especially, you have one powerful demoness as your ally here."

He arched his eyebrow, "You always had a way high opinion of yourself, Mother."

"Hey, watch your tongue, young man. Otherwise I will have to show you what I am made off."

He laughed and bowed jokingly, "No need, madam. I am all shame and remorse."

"Good," she said coolly though her eyes were still tingling teasingly, "because, it's time to go. Otherwise those warlocks would come up with some other last minute request."

She was ready to turn but Cole squeezed her hand, "Thank you, mother," he said quietly, "I am really glad that you are back."

Her eyes filled with tears but she managed to contain them. Instead she moved forwards and gave him a quick peck on a cheek. "I am glad too, Belthazor."

Xxxxxxxxx

Nicole was walking towards the ceremonial chambers of the Underworld with Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures following her, both of them looking very sombre. The corridors were well lit up and heavily guarded. It was an important night for the Underworld and nothing was left to chance. But nobody stopped Nicole and her companions. The guards hurried to step aside to let them pass since all of them knew that this tall blond woman was a future princess of the Underworld, the bride of all mighty Belthazor.

If this was not enough all three were wearing black silk robes, the sign of their high position. The robes were compulsory for both wedding and coronation ceremonies. According to the Underworld tradition the marriage ceremony was going to be attended only by the closest relatives of the couple. Afterwards the newlyweds and the rest of the group were going to join the High Council of the Underworld for the coronation. Nicole found all of this demonic etiquette very weird. For example, the robes had to be worn on bare skin. Also the wedding ceremony was going to take place next to the pit with what was generally known as hell fire. According to the warlocks all these traditions had a lot of meaning behind them, but Nicole did not bother to listen when Henry Karenian was giving her a lecture on all the details and preferred to concentrate on getting ready for the celebration party, which would follow the coronation. She picked up a beautiful dress, of course a black one, but she had to admit it looked good on her. She was looking forward finally being able to be with Cole. During the last weeks they spent a lot of time apart since warlocks took a lot of her time. Now she was hoping that they would get a bit of a honeymoon. They took a week off from DLM and planned to spend it travelling between all the houses she inherited from her uncle and only show up to the most important meetings with Leo, Lugels and Elizabeth. Nicole frowned under her hood. That sounded like a hell of a honeymoon... Not...

They finally arrived into the chamber. The guard bowed stepping aside, the doors magically opened and Nicole walked into the room. Elizabeth and Cole were already waiting for them. The half demon stood next to the black ring in the middle of which there was a round fire pit. Nicole knew full well what she had to do, the young woman headed straight to the ring. Both her and Cole exchanged quick glances and stepped into the circle. The next moment the edge flared up into the ring of fire and high priest Corado appeared next to them. He started to chant in ancient Latin. But unlike in Upperworld ceremonies the speech was very short, the athame appeared in Corado's hand and he handed it to Cole. The half demon took Nicole's hand into his and with a swift move cut her wrist. She squeezed her palm allowing the blood to drop into the crystal chalice. Now it was her turn and she took the athame, which was still covered in her own blood and made a light slash on his wrist. Red drops mixed together and Corado waived his hand above the chalice before handing it to Cole. The half demon took a small sip his face completely blank. Nicole followed his example the salty-sourly taste filling her mouth. Two rings appeared in the high priest's hand and he dropped them into the chalice. The gold bands fell into the scarlet liquid and started to glow red absorbing it. It was over in mere seconds, the rings sparkled once more and returned to their normal colour. Corado waived his hand and the rings reappeared in his hand. He placed one on Nicole's finger, the other one on Cole's and then joined their hands together. The rings sparkled again and the flames around the circle rose higher. The newly wed couple turned and stepped through the fire wall, which disappeared behind them. The ceremony was over.

Elizabeth took a step forward towards her son and his wife and said trying to hide her emotions, "Congratulations." She did not add anything else fearing that she would betray the feelings, which as the Source-to-be she could not admit having.

"Let your marriage be prosperous and fertile," Karenian did not hide his triumphant smile.

The French warlock frowned at this obvious hint to the deal, which lied behind this marriage. He looked at his "daughter" and her husband and said in a quiet voice, "Let the Fortune always be with you."

The newly weds were about to respond but high priest Corado cleared his throat interrupting them, "It's time," he said quietly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The main hall of the Underworld was filled with demons, warlocks, vampires and darklighters and many other creatures of Evil. All of them were waiting to swear allegiance to their new leader. And when the doors at the head of the room opened the crowd rose to their feet. One after another the figures dressed in black silk robes filled the podium standing in a semi circle. Cole and Nicole were the last to come out. The Chosen Two stared at each other and mentally counted to ten. Their voices echoed in a complete silence of the room, "Long live the Source".

Elizabeth who was waiting for this signal stepped forward and witnessed her subjects kneeling in front of her, their voices roaring the answer, "Long live Belthora." The demoness looked around the room. She achieved more than she ever expected. She became the Source of All Evil. She had her son and his wife by her side. Now looking at her subjects she once again realized what a massive task she was facing. But at the same time she had a strange confidence that she would fight for her family and her goals till the end and she would win. She raised her hands and smiled regally,

"I thank you for your loyalty. It will be rewarded." The room roared and Elizabeth continued, "It's time to celebrate our first victory: the union of the Underworld. The order is restored and this is just the first step in our rise to glory. And I swear to you that I will serve the forces of Evil as the true Source: wise and ruthless."

Elizabeth waived her hand and goblets of wine appeared in her hand and in the hands of her Council. She raised it high waiting for the rest of her subjects to follow her example.

"For the Powers of Evil," she exclaimed.

"For the power of the Source," the crowd roared.

The demoness lifted the goblet to her lips and cast a discrete look to her left where her new daughter-in-law stood. Elizabeth watched the young woman finishing her wine and the potion it contained. The demoness hid a sigh. It was done.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The dinner was finally over and the crowd spread through the adjoining rooms. The demonic party was at full swing and Nicole finally was able to escape and change into her dress. She felt slightly uneasy. Today she had had the most bizarre experience. She got married to the man she loved but instead of saying "I do," they drank each others blood. Her husband was an over a century old half demon and her new mother-in-law was now the Source of All Evil. If this was not freaky enough Nicole herself had just become an unofficial princess of the Underworld. Her subjects, relatives and allies were demons, warlocks and vampires - creatures of evil. They had blood on their hands and crimes on their conscience. Everything Nicole was ever taught told her that she should hate and despise them. Being good meant fighting Evil not collaborating with it. But life was no longer that simple. Over the last months she came not only to know this world but she had also seen a lot of good from demons and warlocks. Elizabeth Turner, now the Source of All Evil, helped her more than her own mother ever did. Henry Karenian and Phillip des Noures were ready to fulfil her every wish. Sometimes Nicole felt really confused. Her life changed so quickly and so drastically, it was almost spinning out of control. And for sure the line between good and evil seemed more ambiguous than ever. Nicole sighed. It was not the place and time for philosophical musings. She had to return to the celebration if she did not want the rescue party to be sent after her.

The young woman walked into the main chamber and started to look for her husband. She noticed him talking to Phillip des Noures and her heartbeat increased. Cole looked gorgeous dressed in an immaculate tuxedo with dark red shirt instead of white. She could not help but study his face, that usual cool smile and distant look. She knew this man for less than six months. But it felt as if she's known him all her life. At that moment he turned and looked straight at her and immediately his eyes softened. Warmth spread into Nicole's heart washing away all her doubts and fears. This was the answer to all her questions. She was meant to be with him: as the Chosen Two they had a destiny to fulfil but most importantly they were intended to spend a life together. And everything else did not matter. She probably was self centred egoistic woman with very questionable morals but she did not care what she had to do to be with him, what he did in his past and even who were her newly found relatives and allies. If it meant that Cole and her were together it was absolutely worth it.

Nicole snapped of her thoughts when Cole appeared in front of her. "You look very thoughtful, Mrs Turner, I hope you are thinking about me." The young woman raised her head and looked into the piercing blue eyes.

"I actually was," she smiled at him. "But you were too busy talking about politics."

He raised his eyebrows and leaned towards her, "I don't think you have to complain about lack of attention form my side, Mrs Turner," he whispered sultry. And Nicole shivered from the desire she heard in his voice.

She did not have time to reply when Cole grabbed her hand and headed towards one of the rooms. Nicole followed him but then stopped in horror. Her husband brought her to a dim lit room, where several guests were dancing. Panic struck Nicole, "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed into his ear.

He raised his eyebrow. "Don't you want to dance with me, sweetheart?" he asked teasingly, "I thought you wanted some attention from my side."

Nicole gave him a dirty look, "I don't want to make a fool of myself on my wedding day," she hissed, "I can't dance especially these demonic dances, and neither can you."

His eyes sparkled at her and he pulled her to the dance floor. The next moment Nicole found herself in his arms, her body pressed firmly against his. The music changed and the other guests immediately formed two rows of couples on both sides of them. It looked like a Medieval ceremonial ball with the couples moving in a complicated patterns and highly formal way except for her and Cole who were dancing in the centre. There was nothing formal about the movements Cole was taking. It was the most dirty dancing Nicole had ever seen. Cole kept her in a firm embrace and the only thing she could do was to follow his every move. The rhythm of the music was very strange and had nothing in common with the music of the mortal realm. It was wild and invigorating. And the strange contrast of the formal almost puritanical movements of the couples in the rows and extremely sexual movements of herself and Cole made the whole situation even more bizarre. But soon Nicole forgot all about it. All she could think about was Cole, his body so close to hers and an immense desire she felt for him. The half demon turned out to be a perfect partner. He led her with a firm hand and all she had to do was to submit to his every move.

The music ended as abruptly as it started and they stopped both of them breathing heavily. Cole leaned closer to her and whispered into her lips, "I can dance but not mortal dances with their false movements. Now it's time for you to learn what real dancing is about. And I know that you'll be good at that." As the music picked up again even in more wild rhythm than before Cole swirled Nicole and she felt herself spinning down. His hands caught her up and she rubbed herself against him the intoxicating music making her blood ignite. In her normal life Nicole would never be able to keep the wild pace of the dance. But there was nothing normal in this evening or in the way she felt. The passion of the music, the craziness of still having the aftertaste of her beloved's blood in her mouth made Nicole forget all her restrains. Her mind was infatuated with the desire she felt and her whole body was on fire, it was craving for the wild movement of the dance and especially for the feel of her husband's body next to her. All she wanted was to be close to him and when he leaned down on her after lowering her on her back she saw in his eyes the same passion as she felt herself. She ran her hand up his shoulders and his eyes narrowed. He jerked her up and pressed her against his body. They continued to dance staring at each others eyes the aura of sexual tension surrounding their every move. By now the straight rows of dancers on both sides of them had broken up and the couples continued to move in a way, which had more to do with an orgy than dancing. Avoiding the others Cole and Nicole found themselves near the far end of the room and he pressed her against the wall his broad shoulders shielding her from the rest. They kissed wildly and pulled apart almost gasping for breath.

For a second he saw her darkened eyes staring at him pleadingly and then she closed the space between them, capturing his mouth. They blurred together never breaking the kiss.

Only two pairs of eyes noticed their disappearance. Two shadows vanished from the wall and reappeared in the Lugel's realm.

"It is done," Vladimir announced seriously.

"Did the potion have the expected effect?" Dorian asked.

The Eastern European Lugel nodded and the Chairman lifted his hands.

"Lets the Destiny take its turn," he announced and eleven figures raised their heads and for a minute silence reigned over the Council meeting. The all powerful Lugels were praying for success to the gods only known to them.

But in the unison of ten prayers, there was one lone silent plea. Under the hood of her grey rob Celina shut her eyes and begged, "I promised that I would only ask to keep her safe and nothing else. But I was wrong. There is no way she would survive if he is not by her side. So please, keep them safe, just keep them both safe. And if there have to be a sacrifice, take me, but not them."

Even as a Lugel she had no knowledge whether her plea was heard. But after the rest of the Council left she waived her hand above the platform and saw the objects of her prayers. Celina waived her hand again and the vision disappeared. A sad but at the same time very warm smile touched her lips. For this night the Chosen Two would forget about their destiny to safe the magical world. Or at least be unaware that they were embarking on the next level in their lives. This night they were living in their own world.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi everybody. Sorry it took so long for the new chapter. But it's finally finished. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 15

One month later the Schwarzlight Mansion was hosting a meeting between the most unusual partners. Elizabeth Turner- the Source of All Evil- was sitting in a comfortable chair enjoying a glass of champagne, which her son just handed to her. She was dressed in a black business suit and looked as if she just left the boardroom of the multinational corporation. Opposite her in his usual white robe sat one of the Elders - Leo Wyatt.

"The situation is very simple," the demoness looked around the table and fixed her gaze on Leo. "If the Elders Council does not climb down from the "cloud land" where they seem to be stuck and quickly become more demon friendly the results of all our efforts will be zilch."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Leo who hid his face behind his glass of water. This meeting was not going well for him. Hey, the last months were not going well for him. And he did not seem to be making any progress. Elizabeth on the other hand had achieved amazing results in just one month. Evil had become more interested in buying shares than in killing witches. The unfortunate side was that the Elders Council did not try to channel the activities of their charges into a different field. And the consequence of it was that the peace deal they had been working on was still as far away as ever. Just as a conformation of his thought Elizabeth pointed out.

"I can channel demonic activity into business as much as I want, but if they fear for their safety they would defend themselves in a very demonic way." She paused and let everybody appreciate the meaning of her words.

Cole shot Nicole a discrete look, since by their unspoken agreement she did most of communications with Leo. But the young woman sat quietly and stared somewhere into space. So the half demon turned to his ex brother-in-law and said carefully choosing for the words, "Leo, what is the Elder's Council view on the current situation?"

The former whitelighter wished he did not have to answer this question but he knew that there was no choice, "The Elders think that the new Source does not have enough power to do anything particular dangerous to the side of good. Therefore they consider the time perfect for attacking the Underworld and this way slowing down the reorganisation of power."

When Leo finished he shot a quick glance at the demoness. Her face was completely unreadable and it reminded him of Cole. Leo inwardly sighed, coming from a member of Turner family such blank expression was not a good sign. The half demon did not have to look at his mother to know that she was furious. He wanted to say something to prevent the fireworks from going off but was too late. Elizabeth's lips twisted into a caustic smile, "Well, I am not surprised that this bunch of old fools has such a low opinion of me. In a sense I can take it as a complement. But my question is what are you doing there? I thought your job was to make the Elders Council agreeable to the peace deal. And from what you are telling us it is the last thing on their minds, which means that you have failed to deliver on your task so far. And I am interested to know why is that and what are you going to do about it?"

Leo sighed. No matter how much he would have liked to disagree with the Source of All Evil, she was absolutely right. He knew it himself, but he also knew that he had not been sitting around wasting his time in the Elders realm. He tried, he tried hard to sway the Council to his side. But he never even imagined that a group of, all in all, very intelligent people could be so damn narrow minded.

Elizabeth watched his face and raised her eyebrow, "Oh, boy," she muttered under her breath but loud enough for everyone to hear, "I think somebody here is out of his depth."

"I am not out of my depth," Leo snarled, "But unlike you I am not the Head of the Elders Council. And even if I was it is not a dictatorship up there. You can't just go and order the Elders around. It's a bloody democracy and therefore it takes time to bring up a change."

"Well, we don't have time," Cole finally decided that he had to step into the conversation.

Leo was about to snap, but Nicole who seemed to finally wake up interrupted him. "Look, Leo, we know you are trying very hard. And we know it's not easy. We've arranged this meeting not to criticize you but to find a way how to speed up things. So let's just analyse the situation. From what I understood the Elders are set on trying to fight the Underworld to the end, right?"

Leo nodded in agreement.

"What about the whitelighters?"

"They are much more open," he answered, "I mean a lot of them trust the Elder's explicitly, they would do whatever the Council decides. But there are others, especially Henric, the whitelighter of the powerful Swedish coven, who says we should find different ways of dealing with evil since vanquishing demons does not get us anywhere. And he is not the only one, who thinks this way. But the rest is much less outspoken. "

"Well, that's something," Cole got up from his seat and walked around the room, "We need more of such whitelighters on the Council." He turned to Nicole. "Do you think we should use a little ... uh... persuasion on some of the Elders."

Before she replied, Leo snorted, "How about all of them?" he asked sarcastically.

Cole gave him a dark look and Nicole hid a smile, "That bad?" she arched her eyebrow and when Leo shot her a dirty look, asked in a business tone. "Are there any Elders, which can be cooperated with?"

Leo shrugged, "To my knowledge only one, Elder Rhiannon, she is the most liberal Elder and might be a good ally. But at the moment she is completely suppressed by the rest of the Council."

Cole and Nicole exchanged glances. To replace one Elder was not that difficult but to substitute almost all of them was a big job which was bound to take a long time. And time was exactly what they did not have. With the Underworld geared up for the change it was difficult now to put things on hold. But on the other hand they did not seem to have any alternatives. After a short pause Nicole nodded to her husband and Cole returned to his chair.

"Okay," he said. "We will start with the replacement of the Council. Leo, you have to give us the list of Elders in the order they should be replaced. I and Nicole will think about the best way to go about it and then consult you. We have to do everything exactly right so that you would be under no suspicion and the Council is fully operational at all times." He turned to his mother. "And you I am afraid will have to hold on a little longer. We'll try to be fast."

Elizabeth nodded and shot a wary look at Nicole who seemed to be deep in thoughts. The demoness got up and followed by Leo and Cole headed to the exit. Cole closed the door behind his visitors and was almost ready to get back into the office when a knock on the door stopped him in his tracks. He frowned and turned to open the door curious who had come round for a visit.

"Leo?" Cole was a great deal surprised to see his ex brother-in-law standing on the porch. "Did you forget something?"

The former whitelighter shook his head, "No, I just wanted to talk to you without witnesses."

Cole's eyebrows shot up but he refrained from questions and stepped outside the house shutting the door behind him. Leo shifted from one foot to another. He did not know how to start and decided to jump into the deep end.

"I have been to the Manor," he blurted, "to check up on Piper and her sisters." He paused and looked up at the bright blue eyes which now had a slightly puzzled expression in them. "They are not doing too great," he continued. "After Phoebe tried to crash your wedding, she has become very subdued. She goes to work, comes home and spends all her time crying in her room. She is not interested in being a witch anymore and does not want to talk to Piper and Paige." He paused again hoping that Cole would say something but the latter stayed silent and Leo did not have anything left than to carry on. "I want to ask you a favour," he added quietly, "can you go and talk to Phoebe? Try to calm her down somehow." He stopped and stared at Cole.

The half demon shook his head, "I don't think it's a good idea, Leo."

"Why not?"

"Because I have nothing to say to Phoebe," Cole explained patiently. "I've told her when she tried to stop my wedding that whatever we had was long over. There is nothing left between us." The shocked expression from Leo made the half demon smile lightly, "Look, I know it was maybe a bit harsh on her, but she needs to know the truth. And I don't want to keep her hopes up with a lie, would not be fare to her."

"But you can't be completely indifferent to her," Leo exclaimed. "You must feel something, reminiscence of love, gratitude that she had awoken your humanity, at least compassion as you are the one who had moved on. You have shared so much! Even the memory of your times together should be enough for you to want to help her!"

Blue eyes became icy and Leo was reminded that he was standing opposite the over a century old half demon who was the Source of all Evil less than a year ago, "Leo," Cole's voice sounded calm but there was a dangerous edge to it, "it would be better for all of us if we left my memories where they belong, in the past."

The shoulders under the Elder's robe sagged, but Leo had come here with a mission and he was not going to give up now, "It was not just her fault, Cole. All of us are guilty, me more than them. As a guardian angel I should have thought about the possibility that you were a victim. But I did not." He lifted his head and stared at his former brother-in-law, "I know we should be grateful that you are not seeking revenge on us. And believe me I will work till the end of my life to try and redeem myself at least to the point that I can look at myself in the mirror again. But now I feel that though it was my failure and the doing of all of us Phoebe is the one who is paying for it. And I can't just stand and watch her sink into depression. You are the only one who has any chance of helping her and I'll be damn if I am not going to beg you for this help." He took a step forward and stared at Cole, "Everybody deserves forgiveness and a second chance. If anyone, you should know it..."

The passion with which he spoke touched Cole. But he still shook his head. "Leo, I can't help Phoebe. She regrets not what she has done, but what she has lost. So even if I could and wanted to I would not be able to offer her forgiveness because she does not know what she has done. I can't tell her that everything is going to be okay, because it won't. We are never going to be together again."

"But you can tell her that things will get better," Leo cried out. "Give her some hope that her life is not over. Don't order her to move on but point out that she has a lot to live for: her sisters, her job, her powers. At least tell her that what you had was special and don't lie to me saying that it was not. Because I've been there, I know that you loved her even if you don't feel that way anymore." He stared at Cole pleadingly, "Please, Cole, just tell her that you would never forget her, even if the two of you were not meant to be."

Leo could see that for the first time his former brother-in-law hesitated. Cole ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "You don't know what you are asking, Leo," he muttered. "I can't talk to Phoebe. I am a married man now."

"I am not asking you to sleep with her!" Leo yelled exasperated. "I am asking you to spare 30 minutes of your time and talk to the woman who desperately needs help."

"And in this house there is a woman who desperately does not need any more pain than she already had," Cole's voice sounded angry. "And I love this woman. I swore that I would do everything to make her happy. And talking to Phoebe is not on the list."

The whitelighter stared at him puzzled and Cole finally showed emotions that he was feeling, "Leo, wake up," he snapped, "Do you think that Nicole does not care about my history with Phoebe. How do you think my wife would feel if I went to talk to my ex-wife who by the way is portrayed by everybody as the love of my life, who tried to ruin our wedding by asking me back and who is now too depressed because I said "no"? I can't do this to Nicole. And I won't."

They fell silent both of them surprised by each others' openness. Leo was the one to speak first. "I am sorry," he said. "I understand that you don't want to put Nicole through this and I don't want to hurt her either. It's just I need to help Piper and her sisters because no one else will. And I don't see another way." He looked at Cole and said in a business tone. "I have tried talking to you like your ex brother-in-law. Now I will talk like an Elder to the associate of Lugels. The Charmed Ones are important for the balance of powers. And the way things are looking now we are not going to have them for long. Phoebe's powers are going completely haywire. So unless you take the trouble to get her out of this depression the magic world would lack its most powerful witches."

In the silence that followed Leo allowed himself to breathe out and when he looked at Cole wide-open blue eyes were his reward for the bravery. The half demon sighed, shook his head and then muttered, "You learn too quickly." He then looked at Leo and his blank face gave the former whitelighter shivers. "I will speak to Phoebe," Cole's voice sounded distant. "The fact that you decided to blackmail me like this proves that the situation is really bad."

He noticed how Leo breathed out in relief. Cole's eyes sparkled coldly, "Don't ever again try to play this game with me. Whatever I owed the Halliwell sisters I have paid in full. And this is the last bit of interest."

With these words the young Lugel gave a curt nod to the Elder standing in front of him and disappeared behind the door.

Xxxxxxxxx

An hour later Leo stood in his place among other Elders. The urgent meeting was called by Elder Arcan who was now the Head of the Council. And as always since the beginning of his spying mission this call made Leo's heartbeat increase and he felt sick in his stomach.

The voice of Elder Arcan interrupted his worried musings. "I called you to discuss a very important matter," the Head Elder announced gravely. In recent months we have observed the growing trend among whitelighters to disagree with the Council decisions. They seem to think that vanquishing evil creatures is not the right way to go in our mission to protect good. Though thankfully the majority of whitelighters don't share such views there is still a worryingly high percentage of those who does. I am sure that I don't have to tell you that we cannot afford such behaviour to last any further. Therefore I am asking the members of this Council to speak their opinions openly so we can decide on the best way to tackle this problem."

While the other Elders nodded in agreement with the words of their leader all the alarm bells in Leo's head went off. Though he knew he was very careful and the help he received from Cole and Nicole allowed him to cover his tracks, he still had to prevent anybody from even suspecting that he was the one behind these new ideas among whitelighters.

"What I don't understand," Elder Gareth remarked, "is how did they even arrive to such ideas? We have been fighting evil for centuries. And whitelighters always were the foundation of this battle inspiring witches and being the link between them and us. And I don't see what had changed?!"

Elder Patricia, a middle aged woman, stepped into the discussion, "I think that somebody is stirring them up," she said thoughtfully in her tame voice, which Leo always hated.

"What do you mean?" Elder Arcan stared at her in shock.

"I mean that somebody is feeding the whitelighters these ideas," the female Elder remarked calmly.

The buzz of alarmed voices followed her words and Elder Gareth expressed everybody's shock, "But who can possibly be doing that?" he cried out, "What kind of demon would have powers to do that?"

Patricia's tight mouth became even thinner. "It's not a demon" she explained, "Whitelighters would never trust him, at least not enough to openly question the orders of the Council. I think that we have a traitor among us, who is of course in league with the Underworld, maybe even with the new Source. I have heard that she is a very sneaky demon herself. Plus she has Belthazor by her side who unfortunately knows way too much about the way we operate." She shot Leo a dark look and continued, "The evil has failed to destroy the Powers to Be by simple killings. Now they are trying to go through the back door, and target the core of good – its guardian angels.

The members of the Council exchanged worried glances and Leo, who for the past five minutes was concentrating really hard on forcing himself to breathe, asked hoping that his voice wouldn't treble as much as his knees. "Do you mean that one of the whitelighters is a traitor?"

Elder Patricia nodded approvingly, "Yes, I do," she said and Leo had to hide his relief, "and I even think I know who it is." She made an effective pause and looked around the Council enjoying the shock, which was clearly written on the faces of her colleagues.

"So who is it?" Elder Arcan urged.

"I think it's whitelighter Henric Keisa," Patricia stated simply and Leo could see how Elder Rhiannon paled.

"Why would you think so?" usually calm Elder Francis asked anxiously.

"Because of everything," Elder Patricia explained confidently. "He is always talking about the impossibility of destroying evil. And when the Charmed Ones vanquished the Source he thought it was a mistake."

"But it does not mean he is a traitor," Elder Rhiannon objected passionately.

"No, it does not," Elder Patricia agreed giving the younger woman a condescending look. "But it makes a good start for becoming the ally of Evil. Let's look at the facts," she continued, "The Turku coven has been and still is one of the most powerful witchery covens. But since Henric became their whitelighter they became much less willing to kill demons. During the past five years they let go almost a dozen demons and warlocks and "by mistake" destroyed the ice-cream man. And if you ask me the explanation Henric gave us was a complete and utter nonsense. Moreover the last three months Turku coven killed one demon, one! It's lower than anywhere else."

"But it might be because they have not had a chance," Elder Rhiannon exclaimed. "The demonic activity has been low in recent months, ever since the new Source was crowned. You can't assume that Henric is a traitor just because the witchery coven does not kill enough demons."

Triumphant smile touched Patricia's lips, "Oh, I know that," she said coldly. "That's why I have set up a trap for Henric." She raised her voice and called, "Whitelighter Tamara!" The young female whitelighter appeared in front of the Council. Elder Patricia nodded to her, "Tell the Council about the task I gave you last month and also what were your findings."

Tamara shifted from one leg to another, "Last month Elder Patricia instructed me to keep an eye on whitelighter Henric and if possible become friends with him. She also told me that I should pretend to be unhappy about the decisions taken by the Council. I started by telling other whitelighters that the Elders did not keep up with the changes in the mortal realm, that many humans are capable of things which no demon would ever do and that we should rethink our attitudes towards dealing with Evil. At first Henric did not say anything. But after a few weeks he approached me and after carefully probing my views told me that I was right, that he thought the same and that there were others who shared our views. I told him that I wanted to do something. On which he replied that I should be careful and don't antagonise the Elders too much, though I should try and gently steer them towards more practical position to evil. And when I complained that it was too little, he said that it was just the beginning and the more whitelighters share our views the easier it would be to convince the Council that the changes had to be made. In the meantime I should do my job, protect my charges and teach them to pick and choose their battles." Tamara took a deep breath and continued eyeing Elder Patricia warily. "I also followed Henric to his meeting with his charges and found out that he advised them not to allow their magical duties to destroy their normal lives. He said that they should put their knowledge and efforts into progressing in their careers, building healthy families and serving the good through helping others not just killing demons. He met several other whitelighters, mostly in the mortal realm, but they always had some protective spell around them so I could not hear what they were talking about."

She finished and Leo for the upteens time felt grateful for all the amulets and potions Cole and Nicole supplied him with. These precautions not only prevented Patricia's spy from finding out what Henric was talking about with his friends but also allowed Leo to meet with the whitelighter in complete safety when nobody could even see them not to mentioned listen to their conversation. Even Henric himself had no recollection of speaking to Leo, but a firm confidence that he had a powerful ally.

While Elder Wyatt was saying his gratifying prayers the other members of the Council were expressing the shock of these revelations. The gloomy voice of Elder Arcan restored the relative order. "Thank you, whitelighter Tamara," he waived his hand allowing the young woman to leave and turned to Elder Patricia, "I have to say, Patricia, that we have a lot to thank you for. Your vigilance and resourcefulness allowed us to avoid a great danger. If it was not for you, we could have still be in the dark about the betrayal of Henric and who knows what consequences could it have had."

The female Elder smiled her face glowing from such acknowledgement of her efforts. The Head Elder looked around the Council, "Now," he announced, "we have to decide, what should be done next."

Elder Patricia was the first to speak up, "May I, Elder Arcan?" she asked knowing full well that it was her moment to move up the unofficial Elder's hierarchy and being determined to make the most of it.

"Of course," the Head Elder nodded at her encouragingly.

"I think we need to act firmly and quickly in order not only to nip this rebellion in the bud but also to prevent any future uprising. Whitelighter Henric has to be detained and his wings should be clipped. But I also suggest that we put him on trial in order to find out everybody he had contacts with. Then we will learn who was involved with him and maybe even his allies in the Underworld." The female Elder spoke quickly and clearly and Leo was convinced that she had been thinking about this for a long time and with every words she uttered the former whitelighter was more and more convinced that he hated Elder Patricia's guts and she would be the first one he would tell Cole and Nicole to replace. This woman had the habits of the Spanish inquisition and had to be stopped before she could ruin any more of his undertakings.

The voice of Elder Rhiannon snapped him out of his thoughts. "You cannot possibly be serious," she exclaimed and the rest of the Council stared at her. The young Elder reddened but continued determinedly, "Henric is not guilty of the betrayal. He always expressed his opinions openly and we all knew them. And even according to your own spy, Elder Patricia, he told her not to do anything except tell us about her concerns and thoughts. The fact that he spoke to other whitelighters about it shows that he wanted us to hear everything not only from him and I don't see how this can be called a betrayal. If so many whitelighters agreed with Henric maybe it is time we listen to him as well."

"Elder Rhiannon," Gareth gasped, "what are you talking about? How can you defend this traitor if he went against his oath as a whitelighter?"

The young Elder shook her head impatiently, "He did not go against his oath," she cried out, "His duty is to protect his charges and follow the orders of the Council and this is exactly what he did. His advice to his charges was more than reasonable. The members of the Turku witches have to pick their fights carefully or we won't have a coven left. And regarding building their careers it's not like we are paying them salaries. They live in the mortal realm and they need to be able to pay the bills. This is the fact of life. More and more witches decide to bind their children's powers and some of the younger generation simply don't want to hear about their heritage. And there is a reason behind it. Being a witch is dangerous and difficult both financially and emotionally. And you can't blame parents for wanting to protect their children and children for wanting a better life than their parents had. Plus there are so few witches left that most of them have mortal partners who are not very kin on their spouses and children going round risking their lives."

"Enough," the voice of the Head Elder roared in the room interrupting the young woman and making the rest jump in surprise, "Elder Rhiannon, I can't believe you are saying things like that?! You sound just like this traitor Henric and I am shocked that a member of this Council can even have such poisonous thoughts. You behave as if it was you standing behind Henric's rebellion."

Elder Rhiannon paled and was about to reply but Leo interrupted her, "Elder Arcan, let me say a word. I think that Elder Rhiannon is just simply too impulsive. You all know that she put a lot of efforts into the Melini coven and the fact that they decided to bind their powers was a big shock for her. Losing a charge is a big blow that makes you doubt yourself and your actions. I think that we need to think about the best way to act. Elder Patricia's suggestions are obviously very useful but we have to think about our charges as well. We do not want to antagonise such big coven as Turku and from what I know they really trust Henric. Plus it would be useful to know more about who is involved in the rebellion and in what capacity. So my suggestion is to ask whitelighter Tamara to continue her difficult task and collect more information. In the meantime we can introduce a new whitelighter alongside Henric to the Turku coven under the excuse that there are too many of them for one guardian angel. This way we will keep the witches on our side and be able to devise a better plan of action."

Even listening to himself Leo was surprised how well he has learnt to lie. His voice was full of honest concern and his face expressed nothing but desire to suppress the rebellion with the outmost success. Only his thoughts were different but thankfully they were effectively protected by the amulet, which hanged on his neck.

The Elder Council buzzed again discussing the proposal of their newest member. A lot of them were nodding along and Leo was almost sure that he would manage to convince all of them. Even Elder Patricia could not find any objections to his suggestion no matter how much she wanted to. Elder Rhiannon stared at Leo in surprise and wanted to say something but he gave her a warning look and the female Elder stayed quiet. Leo on the other hand spoke up again. He saw that several Elders and especially Patricia were not completely convinced by his logic and decided to use flattery to ensure his success. "Elder Patricia," he turned to the older woman, "Remember you told me that the new Source is gathering powers and trying to unite the Underworld?" The older woman nodded and Leo continued, "I was thinking about what you said that Evil was looking for new ways of fighting us. It was a great thought of yours that the unity of Evil is the most dangerous threat to us. And in the face of this threat it is important that we stay united as well. This rebellion is aimed at creating split between Powers to Be: whitelighters and Elders, Elders and witches. And the best way to counteract it is by preventing any further division in our ranks. If we stay focused and use all the powers at our disposal we will succeed, but we need to be patient and careful."

He looked around the council noticing contently that all the Elders listened to him very attentively. He was almost there and hopefully the meeting would not last too long. He had to go and see Cole and Nicole and perhaps Elizabeth to discuss everything. This development would probably change their plans. They could not openly start replacing Elders after the rebellion was suspected. Now that Elders were alert to having a traitor they would be much more careful making Lugel's task even more complicated. They would need to come up with a new plan in order for their mission to succeed. And Leo was convinced that the four of them would be able to come up with something. In spite of their differences and maybe because of them they were efficient in solving the problems and achieving their goals. At first Leo felt very uncomfortable to be working with the former and current Sources of All Evil and the woman whom he killed with his own hand. But now he felt strangely at ease with them. They had a common aim and Leo did not care how they achieved it. The goal was everything. Plus he did not have time to think that he was collaborating with the enemy, going against everything he was ever taught or believed into. He had to save Piper and his son. And if he had to act like a demon: manipulate, spy or even kill then so be it. It was worth it.

The voice of Elder Arcan snapped Leo out of his thoughts.

"I think that Elder Wyatt's suggestion is a good one. And if there are no objections we should proceed accordingly."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

When Cole and Nicole blurred into the Penthouse the young woman disappeared into the bedroom and the half demon decided to fix himself a nice drink. He was planning to tell Nicole this evening about the promise he made to Leo and felt that a small portion of scotch would help him to gather the courage. He was already half way through his glass when Nicole finally returned to the living room. She flashed him a brief smile and plopped on the sofa picking up remote control and starting to flip through the channels.

Her distracted and slightly tensed look made him decide that his revelations could wait. For the whole day he felt that his wife was on edge but he attributed it to the upcoming meeting with Leo and Elizabeth, which promised to be tough. But now the half demon was sure that there was something else. He expected that Nicole would tell him as usual about her worries and the fact that she did not say a word made him uneasy. He put his glass down, "Are you going to tell me?" he asked trying to sound calm and gentle.

Green eyes turned to him for a second, "Tell you what?" she returned her attention to the remote control in her hand.

Cole sighed, "Tell me what is bothering you so much."

Her lips twisted into a curt smile, "Well, there are so many things," she started vaguely, "you know them better than me. This meeting with Leo was enough on its own. We have to replace the whole of Elders Council. If this is not a reason to worry I don't know what is. Your mother was clear enough that we need to be fast and I just don't see it happening. Plus I have to constantly pretend with my warlock "relatives" that I am their faithful daughter when all I am, is just a big fraud and considering that my real mother is somewhere in town I think I have all the reasons to be bothered."

Cole listened to her and then rolled his eyes, "Very good," he admitted trying to hide his annoyance, "you proved that you are a good liar. I am impressed with both the logic and the performance." He got up from his seat and bent down to face her, "Now can you please tell me what is really wrong?"

She stared at him, her face reddening slightly. "Why are you so certain that there is something wrong?" she arched her eyebrow. "As far as I remember we decided not to use our mind reading powers on each other."

Cole lost his patience, "I am your husband, Nicole," he shot, "and I don't need any God damn powers to know that you are upset." He noticed her lips trembling and tried to calm down, "I am worried about you," he said quietly taking her hands into his, "Please tell me what's wrong?"

Nicole paled and looked at him helplessly, "I am late..." she said barely audible. He stared at her. The young woman cleared her throat, "It's not certain yet, I have not been to the doctor but I bought one of these home pregnancy tests and it's positive." She lowered her head so he could not see her face and added, "All three of them."

She finally said it. She had been panicking the whole day since she took the first test in the morning. And now when she was almost certain that she was pregnant, Nicole did not know what to do. Everything seemed to be happening so fast to her and Cole. She doubted even if she was ready for it. But mostly she did not know how he would react. Though their marriage was especially planned by their Underworld relatives and allies so they could produce a suitable heir, both her and Cole had an unspoken understanding that it was not on the agenda in the near future.

"Are you so upset about us having a child?" she heard Cole's voice. Something in his tone made her jerk her head up and look straight into his blue eyes, which had a strange expression in them.

"No," she shook her head, "it's not that. I... I always hoped we would have children at some point. But I did not think it would happen so soon. With everything going on, so much danger and uncertainty, I just don't think it's a good time. And I know that you feel the same way. That's why we were so careful all the time, except..." she reddened and faltered.

"Except for the wedding night," he finished and Nicole turned purple. She could not say it herself, since one thought of their wedding night made her body shiver. The things he did to her and the things she did to him... It was wild, almost animal. She pushed these images out of her head.

"I did not know how you would react," she admitted quietly.

Cole felt that a massive load had just fallen from his mind. For a minute there he thought that Nicole did not want to have children. Though he always had a feeling that she would want to have a family, they never really talked about it. And since she did not tell him herself and admitted being pregnant only when he forced her, he feared that he might had been wrong assuming that Nicole would want children from him. Cole was always aware that Nicole knew about his past more than any living creature in the world. She saw Belthazor in all his "glory" and though she might have been ready to risk herself by staying next to him, the innate motherly feelings might have prevented her from bringing a child into such risky environment. If that had been true, he would not have known what to. But thank God, the green eyes that he was again drowning in had only love and worried expectation in them.

He set next to her on the coach and pulled her closer so she looked straight into his eyes. "I am happy," he said smiling at her. "I know it might not be the ideal time, but there never is. We maybe have not planned it, but it happened and I am all for it." He paused and watched how a warm smile lit up her face. "I love you, Nicole, and knowing that we are going to have a child is the best end of the honeymoon month I could have possible imagined."

Nicole could feel how all her body relaxed from his words, her fears and worries disappearing. She moved closer to him so he could put his arms around her and looked straight into his eyes, "If you are happy," she said in an emotional tone, "than I am happy too."

"Honestly?" he asked.

"Honestly," she confirmed lifting her face so he could kiss her. When they pulled apart he saw her sparkling emerald green eyes staring at him, "Under one condition," she added in a demanding voice. Cole looked at her questioningly slightly suspicious if the mood swings had already started. "You can't treat me as if I am ill and can't take care of myself."

"Well," he started, "I will have to make sure that you and the baby are safe..."

Nicole seared him with a glare. "Cole Turner, if you even think that I would allow you to turn me into an archaeological artefact that have to be put under a safety glass, you are wrong. I will sooner divorce you."

The next moment Nicole found herself pressed against the coach with Cole's body looming over her. "Never ever say it again," he whispered into her lips. "Don't even joke about it. I will never let you go. And if I have to tie you to myself, well, then so be it."

They stared at each other for a minute, him daring her to disagree and at the same time pleading her not to. A defiant smile touched her lips but her eyes looked at him with love and understanding, "Fine," she agreed, "but you still have to promise that you won't treat me like a patient?"

Cole laughed at her stubborn expression. He could feel himself relax and return into his usual happy state as always when she was in his arms. "Fine," he answered copying her tone, "If you promise to be extra careful, I will try to control my protective instincts."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Leo returned to his chambers he sat down on his bed and rubbed his face with his hands. He had a lot to do and not much time. First he had to meet with Cole and Nicole. It was already late and Leo was hoping that they had not gone to bed yet. He did not fancy waking up his ex brother-in-law and even less to interrupt something if he was not asleep. But he could not wait till tomorrow. They had to take care of whitelighter Tamara and Elder Patricia and he needed Cole and Nicole to use their powers to manipulate the female Elder and her associate in believing that they had been wrong about Henric. If it came to it, whitelighter Tamara could be killed by a darklighter or something. And then he could take care that the next whitelighter would be loyal to him not to the Elder's Council.

"Elder Wyatt," the voice of Elder Gareth interrupted Leo's planning. "You are leaving?"

Leo hid a tingle of anger mixed with worry that rang in his head, "I want to check up on my ex charges," he explained calmly. "Piper is due any day now."

The other Elder nodded, "You should not worry about them too much," he said trying to sound supportively, "They are very strong women and can deal with whatever comes their way."

Leo's lips twisted into a wan smile, "It would be good if they did not have to be that strong all the time," he remarked quietly.

Elder Gareth shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I think that the lives of the Charmed Ones have improved significantly during the last year. Especially since they got rid of that demon. I have to tell you, Wyatt, we were really worried here when Phoebe agreed to marry him. Thank God, that the Source's spirit went into him - solved all of our problems."

For a moment Leo just stared puzzled at the other Elder, "What do you mean by the Source's spirit?" he asked finally.

"I mean that when the Charmed Ones vanquished the old Source after Belthazor stole his powers using the Hollow, the Source's spirit filled the void left by Belthazor's demonic half and took possession of his body." Gareth looked at Leo who just stared at him in confusion. The older man smiled at his younger colleague's surprise, "It was a perfect chance," he continued his explanation. "It finally made Phoebe realize what mistake she had made by bringing this demon into the family."

Leo felt as if somebody just hit him over the head with the baseball bat. His mind was in complete disarray but the scales had fallen from his eyes. He stared in shock at the other Elder, "So you knew all the time that Cole was possessed?" he asked trying to make his voice sound calm.

"Of course we knew," Gareth shrugged, "well, from the moment we found out that he was the Source. There was no other explanation."

"Why did not you tell me?" Leo questioned his eyes sparkling dangerously.

Elder Gareth squirmed uncomfortably, "Please, don't take any offence, Elder Wyatt, but you were too close to your charges. We were not sure you would keep this information from the Charmed Ones. And if they had found out, I am sure that Phoebe would not have the heart to vanquish her husband and even if she had done it, she would have taken him back when he returned from the Wasteland. We could not risk that."

"But he was an innocent human," Leo exclaimed fighting a strong urge to put his fist into the Elder's face.

Gareth just snorted, "Don't be so naïve, Wyatt," he said in a caustic voice, "Belthazor-an innocent human? What a load of nonsense. Yes, he was stripped from his powers but he still had his demonic blood in him and his demonic genes. If you and Piper are able to produce such a powerful child, can you imagine what kind of evil creature would be born from Belthazor one of the most powerful demons ever and such a rebellious witch as the middle Charmed One? Even as a foetus their child was powerful enough to destroy the High Council of Underworld."

By now Leo's face was as pale as a blank sheet of paper. He stared at the Elder in horror. "You mean..." he whispered and felt silent fearing to say out loud the terrible thought that entered his mind. Finally he cleared his suddenly dry throat, "you mean their child was..." he paused again, "it was not the old Source's child?"

The Elder shrugged. "What's the difference? The old Source or Belthazor? It was a demonic spawn of evil. That's what really matters."

Leo felt as if the floor under him was spinning around. He could not believe that human lives meant so little to the people who were representing the great powers of Good. The defenceless mortal and an unborn child were sacrificed to the altar of fear of Powers to Be. And the Charmed Ones, who risked their lives day after day for five years following the orders of the Elders were made into cold blooded murderers so that the Council of Good could sleep better. And now it was the Halliwells and himself who were paying the price of this murder. For a second Leo imagined what would happen to Phoebe if she found out that not only she had killed her innocent husband but also that she had lost her innocent child. And then another thought came into his head. What if Cole ever found out that the Elders knew. With his powers would he go and wreck vengeance on them?! And would he be wrong in doing that?

Gareth looked at his younger colleague. The young Elder was very pale, his forehead glistering with sweat. "Elder Wyatt," he called out. "Are you OK?"

Leo looked at the older Elder. Gareth's eyes expressed deep concern and sympathy and it infuriated Leo. Phoebe's tear stricken face stood in front of him and in his mind he could hear the chilling cry which haunted his dreams, the cry of his ex brother-in-law when he was vanquished by his own family. In a second Leo's insides curled with anger and pain. He raised his fist and slammed it into the face of Elder Gareth. The old man hit the wall and sank down unconscious.

"Elder Wyatt!" he heard a shocked voice behind him. Elder Rhiannon stood at the doors of his chambers, her face expressing utter horror.

The former whitelighter reached into his robes, "I am sorry about this, Rhiannon," he said softly, "this is none of your business." And with these words he threw a bottle with the potion at her and the female Elder slowly dropped to the floor.

Xxxxxxx

Nicole woke up covered in sweat. She lifted herself on the elbows and looked around. Cole was asleep next to her and the young woman frowned trying to understand why she felt so anxious. She remembered having a nightmare but now she could not say exactly what it was. Everything around her seemed to be normal and Nicole took a deep breath in order to calm down. Suddenly she felt really hot and a wave of dark magic washed over her. Something was not right.

She touched Cole's shoulder and when he stirred whispered, "Cole, wake up, something is wrong."

The half demon immediately became alert and set up in bed, "Something with the baby?" he asked worriedly.

"No," she shook her head, "Something magical is happening, I can feel it. It's not right."

Cole concentrated for a moment. He could feel an immense magical power floating in the air. In spite of air conditioning the room was roasting hot. At first he thought that it was something in the apartment but when he extrapolated his senses he understood that the change was on the much grander scale.

"Will you check it with your mother?" Nicole asked.

"Of course," he said getting up. "Would you come with me?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll wait for you here." He frowned and was about to object but she interrupted him, "Cole, we especially put a protective spell on the Penthouse so it would be safe. Nobody except your mother, Lugels and Leo can enter the Penthouse without being trapped. Nothing will happen to me and I don't want to barge on your mother in the middle of the night. I'll stay here and wait for you."

Cole sighed and opened his mouth to say something but Nicole put her finger to his lips and smiled at him, "I'll be fine," she assured him, "Don't be too long..."

He kissed her finger showing that he resigned to her decision and pulled on pair of trousers and a sweater. After her husband disappeared Nicole pulled on her bathrobe and set on the bed waiting for him. Suddenly an alarm rang in her head. Somebody tried to enter the Penthouse and fell into the trap they set up. Nicole's hand clasped into a fist ready to release a fire ball. But the familiar voice made her stop. She rushed into the living room and saw Leo standing in the middle of the room and an unconscious figure lying in the place of the trap.

"Leo," she exclaimed, "What's going on?"

The whitelighter stared at Nicole, his eyes looked distort, angry and lost and finally he said in a hoarse voice, "I have released the Titans."


	16. Chapter 16

Hello everybody! I am really sorry for disappearing for so long. I had a massive writer's block and could not come up with a single line. Now it seems that I am back on track and hopefully the next chapters would not take that long.

I want to thank everybody who has reviewed the last chapter and hope that you would like the new one. Let me know!

Chapter 16 

"You what?" Nicole paled and stared at him.

"I have released the Titans," Leo repeated plopping on the chair. He closed his eyes and added nonchalantly, "They are going after the Elder's Council. You won't need to replace it."

Nicole took a deep breath. She made a step closer to Leo and asked softly, "What happened?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, his eyes sparkled wildly on the pale face. "They knew," he whispered, "about Cole and the Source. Knew all the way. And also the baby... It was not... Was not the Source's, it was..." he took a harsh breath, "I did not know," his voice quavered slightly, "I swear I did not know... They did not... did not tell me. If I had known, I would have never... never..."

Nicole squeezed his hand, "I know, Leo," she said softly. "I know you would not."

The former whitelighter brushed his tears away. "If Cole ever finds out..." he trailed off.

Nicole smiled sadly, "He knows," she said quietly.

Leo jerked his head and stared at her wildly, "He knows?" he stammered.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I don't think anybody told him, but the Elders were never keen on a former demon being married to a Charmed One. And it was unlikely that they did not know that he was possessed. And with the baby..." she sighed, "we all studied biology at school and even being magically possessed does not change its rules."

The sound of a shimmer interrupted her. Cole blurred in, his face deadly serious. He spotted Leo and Nicole and breathed a sigh of relief, "The Titans are out on the loose," he announced soberly. "Nobody in the Underworld knows who released them. But the Source's Council is getting ready for a fight. And we should do the same. Titans don't share power."

Leo swallowed harshly and Nicole shot him a wary look, "We know..." she said quietly.

Cole gave her a puzzled look, "You know?" he repeated and then shifted his gaze to Leo, "The Elders have been alerted already?" he asked, "Do they know how they escaped?"

Nicole hesitated not knowing what to say and Leo could not stand this anymore, "I released them," he blurted out.

Cole's eyes grew wide, he opened his mouth but had to clear his throat before any sound came out, "You did what?" he finally said.

Leo shook his head tiredly, "I have released the Titans," he repeated.

Had the Elder been in a better mood he would have probably enjoyed the expression of total shock on his ex brother-in-law's face. It took Cole over a minute to recover his ability to talk, "Why the hell did you do that?" he cried out having a bad feeling in his gut.

"To get rid of the Elders," Leo shot quickly. "The Titans will first go after them, since they were the once who captured them."

"And then they will go after everybody else," Cole exclaimed angrily. "What the hell were you thinking unleashing such evil on the world?"

Leo jumped to his feet, "I thought about your bloody mission," he shouted shaking violently, "You have no idea how to replace the Elders, well now you don't have that problem."

"Well, I much rather have a problem with the Elders than deal with the Titans," Cole retorted crossly, "They are complete nutters, totally high on their powers. There is no way to reason with them and unlike you I am not suicidal myself and also have people in this realm I care about."

"So do I," Leo yelled. "That's why I would like to come back to my family in one piece and not wait till Elders bring down their unspeakable wrath on me as a traitor. And since they have already got to Henric who was my right hand among the whitelighters, it was just the matter of time till they would have gotten to me. A matter of very short time."

Cole shook his head and was about to retort, but Nicole stepped between two men and faced her husband, "Cole," she said sternly, "There is no point arguing now. Leo had his reasons. And now we just need to make sure that the consequences are limited to the minimum."

Under her stare the half demon visibly cooled down. He turned towards the window "Well, there is only one way..." he started.

"To transfer three powerful witches into Goddesses," Leo finished. "One for every Titan."

"Do you have any candidates in mind?" Nicole asked trying to stay calm and prevent the argument between two men going any further.

"The Charmed Ones," Cole muttered still standing with his back towards Leo.

"No..." the latter shot up from the chair he had just plopped onto, "They can't do it. Phoebe's powers are going haywire and Piper is due any day."

"Well, then we just have to do it faster," Cole finally turned around and stared at his former brother-in-law, "Because there is nobody else who can do it."

"Why not?" Leo cried out.

"Because to defeat the Titans you need to be very powerful," Nicole interfered trying to prevent her husband and the Elder going at each other again. "Even in Goddess mode it's very difficult for a normal witch to withstand the power of the Titans no matter to defeat them. That's why in the past the Elders only managed to banish them. But with the Charmed Ones being the most powerful witches ever, the situation is different and they can actually vanquish them."

"No, they can't," Leo seared Nicole with a fierce glare, "They are not ready at the moment and I am not putting my unborn child and my wife in such risk."

"Well, you should have thought about it before!" Cole shot.

Leo's eyes sparkled furiously but Nicole did not let him to retort. "Cole," she gave her husband a stern look, "Can you just stop accusing Leo? He did what he thought was best at a time and all of us know that sometimes things don't work out the way we want to. So let's just stop arguing and try to act constructively so we can resolve the situation."

For a second the half demon just stared at his wife surprised by her sharp reprove. But she had already turned away from him and was now looking at Leo. Unseen for her husband, Nicole eyes pleaded the former whitelighter not to reveal the truth he had learnt this evening. Leo submitted to her and tried to calm down. "Why can't you or Lugels themselves banish the Titans. You can go into the God mode too?" he asked.

"That's not possible, Leo," Nicole replied. "Being in God mode is a big strain for the human body. And the powers have to be in perfect balance, meaning that they have to be rooted into one source. Me, Cole and the Lugels have too many powers and they are rooted in different sources. We would be literally torn into pieces. That's why it was the Elders who banished the Titans last time."

Leo's shoulders sagged. Now he would have given anything for never going along with his fear of exposure and desire to seek revenge on the Elders. All he had achieved with his rushed decision was to put the Halliwells into the line of fire again.

Cole rubbed his face with his hands and tried to cool down his anger. He kept having a funny feeling that there was something in this whole story that he was missing. But he did not have time to think about it. Nicole was right, their priority was to get the situation under control. And he had to keep himself, and especially Nicole and the baby, safe from harm. His gloomy musings were interrupted by Nicole's cell phone.

"Nicole Turner," she said wondering who could be calling her at one o'clock in the morning.

"Nicole," the young woman recognized Celina's voice which now sounded unusually worried. "I hope you know that the Titans were released?"

Nicole nodded, "Yes, we do. Leo told us."

"Good," the French woman answered quickly. "At the moment they are getting their revenge on the Elders so I suggest you get out of your Penthouse and come to the Schwarzlight Mansion. And bring Wyatt with you. He soon will be the only Elder alive." She paused and added, "Nicole, I don't have to tell you that the situation is very serious. You know yourself that we lost half the Council last time the Titans were free."

Nicole nodded silently as if Celina could see her, "Yes, I know," she cleared his throat. "We will try to fix it. We already have a plan."

"The Charmed Ones?" Celina asked. And when Nicole confirmed added approvingly. "It's a good plan. They should have enough powers. And you two can back them up." She paused and added quietly but sternly. "But be careful. Whatever you do, don't fight them face to face. I know you are the Chosen Two, but we have no idea how your powers would work in the presence of the Titans." She changed her tone, "I trust that the new Source would be able to keep the Underworld under control. And we are going to keep an eye on the whitelighters and witches." With these words she disconnected.

Nicole closed her mobile and gave her husband a gloomy look. "That was Celina. We need to go to the Schwarzlight Mansion. It's not safe here." She turned to the former whitelighter, "You are coming with us."

Leo nodded, "What about Rhiannon?" he asked nodding towards the unconscious female Elder.

"We'll take her with us," Cole waved his hand over her. "She won't wake up for a while."

Nicole nodded, "Leo, you should change," she said making sure that her husband would not be left alone with the Elder, "I'll get you some of Cole's clothes." She took the former whitelighter to the bedroom and opened the wardrobe, "Thank you," she whispered quickly, "for not telling him. I don't want Cole to go through more pain than he already has."

"But you said, he knows?" Leo whispered back.

Nicole pulled out a shirt and a pair of trousers, "On some level, but it's different to hear the conformation from someone else." She handed the clothes to Leo and smiled wryly, "As you know yourself."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the Halliwell Manor Piper turned in her bed for probably the hundredth time during the night. She could not sleep. It had been really hot during the day and her big belly did not make her any more comfortable. At the end she decided to get up and slowly shuffled downstairs into the living room. To her surprise she found that she was not the only one who was up in the middle of the night. Phoebe was curled up in the chair, a cup of tea in her hand.

"Hi, sis," Piper greeted, "It looks I am not the only one who suffers from this heat."

Phoebe lifted her head and Piper felt uneasy under her stare. For the past month, Phoebe has been very distant. Ever since she created the alternative reality trying to get Cole back, she had withdrawn into her shell, which consisted from working fourteen hours a day, and spending the rest of her time in her room. The middle Charmed One received a severe warning from the Elders for using her powers for personal gain but she did not even seem to care. She did not care about anything and when her sisters tried to talk to her, she avoided the conversations at all costs. Piper thought that this time would be the same and already turned to leave when Phoebe finally spoke up.

"I have not been sleeping well lately. Too much on my mind."

Piper turned around and looked at her sister, "I know," she said softly trying to show Phoebe her support and at the same time not to scare her sister off.

Phoebe smiled wanly, "I am sorry Piper for being so distant. I just had to figure out some things and learn to live with them." She paused and continued, "Now when I finally had the courage to face the facts about my life during the last year I will try to move on... The best I can."

"That's great, honey," the oldest Halliwell came closer and set down next to her sister. "You know that Paige and myself are here for you."

"I know," Phoebe smiled trying to hide the sadness in her eyes. "And it's a great help..."

The sound of orbing and shimmering interrupted her and three figures materialized in the middle of the living room.

"Demon," Piper screamed raising her hands but her powers did not have any affect on the newcomers.

"Piper, don't," Leo said tiredly.

The two Charmed Ones stared in shock at their former whitelighter dressed in the black jeans and a dark navy designer shirt.

"Leo?" Piper asked having troubles recognizing her husband in this tall broad shouldered man.

"Yes, it's me." Leo replied. "Sorry to barge on your in the middle of the night. But we have an emergency here."

"Emergency?" Phoebe squeaked trying to tear her eyes away from Cole.

"Yes," Leo squirmed uncomfortably and Cole decided to step into the conversation.

"The Titans have been released," he explained plainly. "They are ancient Gods with immense powers."

"So?" Piper who managed to calm down a bit gave him a hostile look, "What does it have to do with us? Gods are not our specialty, we kill demons. You should know that."

"Piper!" two voices cried out in unison.

"What?" the oldest witch looked at her husband and her sister in surprise, "What did I say?"

Nobody answered her but a lot of meaningful looks were exchanged.

Leo tried to open his mouth but a loud shout interrupted him, "What the hell are you doing here?" Paige cried out standing on top of the stairs holding several potions in her hands.

Cole mentally cursed. He knew that they would not be warmly received in the Halliwell's Manor and he was almost prepared for it. But during the past months he had forgotten how hostile Piper could be and how much Paige annoyed his guts. Plus having Nicole witness the way Phoebe was staring at him made him uneasy. The half demon cursed again, damn Leo had released the Titans and massively screwed everything up.

The calm voice of his wife made Cole stop his silent muttering. "Look, all of us here are intelligent enough to understand that we would not come here in the middle of the night if it was not absolutely necessary. Titans are a threat to all of us, evil, good, human and magical. So I suggest that we refrain from arguing and get on with things. If we survive the Titan's than we will have plenty of time to talk all we want and if we don't than all our differences do not really matter that much."

The two older Charmed Ones stayed silent not knowing what to say but Paige was not that easily convinced. "Hey, you can't just order us around," she exclaimed still keeping her potions ready. "And who the hell are Titans?"

"Titans are ancient Greek Gods, extremely powerful," Cole repeated his explanation. "They were banished by the Elders centuries ago. Now they were released and at the moment they are destroying the Elder's Council and after that will fight everybody else since they don't like to share powers."

"And who released them?" Piper asked suspiciously.

Leo's face twitched as he tried to answer, but Nicole bit him to it, "We don't know," she said. "And it doesn't really matter. The most important thing now is to defeat the Titans before they go any further destroying the magic and the rest of the world."

No matter how much Phoebe hated this woman, she had to admit that she was right. The middle Charmed One sighed and said, "Ok, we will check the Book of Shadows."

Leo shook his head, "No need, Titans are not there. There is only one way to defeat them: for you three to become Goddesses."

"What?" Paige shrieked. "You want to turn us into Greek Goddesses?"

He nodded, "This is the only way. Your powers will increase dramatically and should at least match the Titan's powers and considering that you are the Charmed Ones you should be able to vanquish them."

"But Leo," Phoebe objected, "we are not really in a position to fight at the moment. Piper is due any day."

Leo's face expressed a great strain, "I know," he said quietly, "And I am so sorry but there is no other choice."

Cole stepped into the conversation. "We will help you as much as we can," he said gently.

Paige snorted, "Not trying to kill us would be a start."

Phoebe seared her youngest sister with a glare and Piper turned to her husband. "Are you sure that there is no other way?" she asked her brown eyes boring into his.

"I am sure," he answered looking straight back at her.

Piper exchanged glances with her sisters and the three witches joined their hands. Cole and Nicole blurred outside of the Manor creating a powerful shield to prevent the Titans from noticing the transformation. The first gleams of rising sun had just appeared from behind the horizon. It promised to be a very long day.


	17. Chapter 17

Hello Everybody. The new chapter is here. Hope you'll enjoy it. Please R&R.

Chapter 17

Sixteen hours later Cole and Nicole shimmered and blinked into the Underworld. The Source was surrounded by her Council. She lifted her head and stared at the arrivals questioningly.

"It's over," Cole said firmly. "The Titans are vanquished, this time for good."

The buzz of relief swept through the room. "The Charmed Ones?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Nicole confirmed. "The female Titan was actually killed by one of the males who then was destroyed by the Charmed Ones together with the other one."

"Good," the demoness nodded approvingly. "It's a great relief for all of us."

Kalius frowned, "Great relief and a great shame. We had to collaborate with witches."

Elizabeth turned to him and the young demon shrank under her cold gaze, "Kalius, Are you accusing me of collaborating with witches?"

He shook his head too aware of the rest of the Council stares, "No, my lady" he said, "but it's the fact that we did not fight Titans ourselves and had to wait for the Charmed Ones to vanquish them."

Elizabeth allowed a chilling smile to touch her lips, "You are too young to understand that you have to pick your battles. If we had fought the Titans ourselves we would have lost a lot of demons and warlocks and with very uncertain outcome. This way we let the witches take the blow." She got up from her seat and continued. "Learning to use your enemy when it's beneficial is the sign of great wisdom and I sincerely hope that nobody on my Council has the desire of taking the "moral" high ground. It would mean that they were in the wrong place and should better have joined the Elders Council." The demoness voice sounded sarcastic but her cold eyes seared the rest of the members with a deadly glare. Everybody listened respectfully and high priest Corado was nodding approvingly.

Elizabeth relaxed slightly and returned her attention to Kalius. The younger demon bowed his head, "Apologies, my lady, I did not think about it."

The demoness looked at him coolly a small smile playing in the corners of her mouth, "Harsh thinking is the sign of naivety," she said calmly and turned around dismissing the Council with the wave of her hand. Kalius breathed out in relieve but she stopped and added thoughtfully, "I just hope that none of the members of my Council is too naïve for his job."

The young demon shuddered, bowed deeply and disappeared after the rest of the Council.

Philip des Noures who was worried about his newfound daughter while she was away helping the Charmed Ones to fight the Titans stayed behind. When Elizabeth turned to him, he bowed lightly and said in a respectful voice, "My lady, would it be possible if I borrow my daughter for a few minutes.

Elizabeth shot Nicole a look and nodded. The young woman followed her "father" out of the Source's apartment leaving mother and son alone. The demoness came closer to him, "You look tired, Belthazor," she said softly.

Cole shrugged his shoulders, "It's been a very long day," he said and smiled, "and very eventful."

She nodded understandingly, "How did it go with the Charmed Ones?"

Cole shrugged again, "It went okay. I think Leo will be the one who gets most of the crap, but then it serves him right. At the end it was him who released the Titans."

"Leo?" Elizabeth exclaimed in shock, "The whitelighter?"

"He is not a whitelighter anymore, mother. Or to put it correctly he went a very long way from the whitelighter he once was. In all honesty I would have never thought that Leo could change so much."

Elizabeth smiled vaguely, "Still waters run deep," she said nonchalantly and returned to the topic that worried her, "So what would happen to the Elder's Council now?"

"It would be restored," Cole explained, "Leo will become the Head Elder and with the help of another Elder who had survived they will build a new Council. At the moment there is an intermediate group of whitelighters who is covering the most urgent calls and, thanks to you, the demonic world is more interested in share prices than in witches."

He shot a glance towards the entrance hoping that Nicole would not be too long. A smile touched his lips and Elizabeth who was watching her son attentively asked, "What are you smiling about?"

Cole looked at his mother and hesitated for a moment. Then he shook his head and said quietly, "Nicole is pregnant." Cole smiled from excitement he felt just by saying it out loud. He was so preoccupied with this new feeling that did not notice how pale Elizabeth became.

"No," she uttered, "it's not possible."

"Why not?" Cole asked looking at his mother slightly puzzled.

Elizabeth feverishly searched for an answer, "Well, you've been married for such a short time," she mumbled.

The half demon smiled, "Sometimes things happen faster than you expect."

"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked.

Cole raised his eyebrows, "Nothing. Why should we do something?"

"But it's a very dangerous times for you," the demoness tried to find the right words, "do you think it's a right time to have a child?"

He stared at her, "There is never a right time," he objected, "so we just have to make sure that everything goes fine and Nicole and the baby are kept safe."

Elizabeth turned away from him trying to compose her feelings.

"Mother," Cole frowned, "you act as if you are really unhappy about it. I thought you wanted me to have a child."

The demoness turned back finally regaining the full control of her face and voice. "Of course, Belthazor, I am happy that you are going to have an heir. I am just surprised and also worried slightly. It's dangerous times now. I would prefer a slightly calmer surrounding for the arrival of my first grandchild."

He studied her face but could not see any falseness. His features softened, "I know you are worried, mother. But we'll be fine. And I am relying on you here. I will do my utter best to protect Nicole and the baby but if by some reason I am not there, promise me, you'll help Nicole."

Elizabeth bit her lip making her best effort to hold back emotions. She had to pull together all her demonic nature to control them. "Of course I will, Belthazor, it goes without saying."

She was about to add something but was interrupted by the figure in white Greek tunic appearing in the middle of the chamber. The mother and son froze on the spot.

"Phoebe?" Cole regained control of his tongue, "What are you doing here?"

The Charmed One looked at her ex-husband. "I came to see you."

Elizabeth made a move forward ready to shield her son from any harm. Phoebe frowned at her. Cole noticed the looks two women exchanged. He touched Elizabeth's hands and whispered into her ear. "You should go." The demoness was about to object, but he did not let her, "Just go, mother, I'll be fine." She nodded and shimmered out.

Cole and Phoebe were left alone. He faced his ex wife and took a deep breath. He had to keep his promise to Leo and make some sort of peace with Phoebe.

"You are still a Goddess I see," he said calmly.

Phoebe smiled, "I am a Goddess of Love," she corrected him proudly.

He returned her smile, "It suits you," he said softly, "I mean you look good."

"Thanks," her face lit up.

"But you don't need to be a Goddess to look good," he added, "These powers are a big strain for a human body."

Phoebe's smile disappeared and she frowned, "I see," her voice rang with sarcasm, "You are still in a role of the savior of the magic world. That's why you are being so nice to me, because you want me to return these powers."

Cole shook his head. "No, Phoebe. Yes, I want you to return these powers but I am not being purposefully nice to you to manipulate you."

The middle Charmed One looked at him suspiciously but his blue eyes looked at her calmly and she believed him. "I wanted to speak to you," she repeated, "and if I give up my powers I would not be able to get to you."

Cole sighed, "You can always get to me, Phoebe. I live in the same city. And there is such thing as a telephone."

She smiled sadly, "As if you would talk to me, Cole!" she paused and added quieter. "Plus, what I want to say is not a phone conversation." She stopped and took a deep breath gathering her courage. "Look, I want to start by apologizing for creating the alternative reality, it was wrong of me. I just did not think straight at a time." She did not dare to look at Cole and therefore did not notice the puzzled expression on his face. "I..." she tried to continue but he interrupted her.

"What alternative reality?"

Phoebe jerked her head up and looked at Cole surprised. "You don't know?" she asked.

Cole frowned, "No, I don't. What alternative reality?"

Phoebe shifted her weight from one foot to another and all over a sudden turned into her normal self. The Greek tunic disappeared and she was left in a pair a pair of jeans and a plain tee-shirt. She looked at her ex-husband and continued with the explanation. "After your wedding," she started, "I cast a spell and returned to the past to stop our divorce going ahead. It created an alternative reality, in which we were still married. But unfortunately it did not end well. You asked for divorce."

Cole listened to her attentively trying to take in this new information. Part of him was surprised that Phoebe's action affected him at all. He would have expected that being a Lugel he would have been able to sense her spell. And another part of him was curious if in this alternative reality him and Nicole had got together. But he knew that Phoebe was not the person to ask about it.

In the meantime his ex wife continued. "Anyway, after everything got back to normal, I tried to remember what you had told me in that reality. You said that you were possessed when you became the Source. So I conjured the past premonition and I saw everything. How the Seer tricked... blackmailed you into accepting the Hollow and how you fought the Source to save our lives." Cole's face stiffened and Phoebe hurried to continue, afraid that he would interrupt her. "Please, Cole, listen to me. I need to tell you how sorry I am. I have been so wrong. We all have been so wrong. But my fault is greater than the others. I knew you better than anybody else. I knew how much you went through trying to change your life. I should have recognized that something was wrong. I should have known that you would never have willingly turned evil again. I was your wife... And instead of helping you I went along with my fears and prejudice..." She could not continue and stopped trying to hold back tears.

Cole did not know what to say. Seven months ago he would have given anything to hear these words from Phoebe. Five months ago he would have probably told her to get out of his sight. And now he did not know how he felt. Resentment was still there as the horrible memories of being possessed by the Source, which he probably would never be able to forget. But what had changed was that Cole did not seek the Halliwells approval anymore, in reality he did not care what they thought about him. His life had changed, took a complete turn, turn for the better. And he dreaded to think that if he had not ended up in the Wasteland he might have never met Nicole. He took a deep breath and looked at his ex wife, which was staring at him with a distorted face.

"I am so sorry, Cole..." she whispered again.

"I know," he answered and ran his hand through his hair trying to find the right words. "Look, Phoebe. I know how you feel: guilt, regret, frustration - I've been there myself. But you have to go through this and move on. What's done is done. I am not suggesting that you just forget everything but you need to live with it and not let the past hold you a prisoner. You have so much in your life: close family, great job and I am not even talking about your powers."

"But not you..." Phoebe said in a chocked voice.

Cole sighed and tried to smile, "But is it such a bad thing?" he asked and before Phoebe could answer continued. "Look, Phoebe, I am not going to pretend that what we had was not special. It was, that's why we both fought so hard to be together and why we were so hurt when it did not work out. But you must admit that we seemed to have more rough patches than the nice ones. And I think it's because we are too different. You were always uncomfortable with my demonic past and I to be honest could not live according to your ideas of what's right and wrong."

"But we loved each other," Phoebe explained, "It should have been enough."

Cole lifted his eyebrow, "You don't believe this, Phoebe," he objected gently. "You said it yourself just a few months ago."

"I was wrong," Phoebe exclaimed passionately. "I was lying to myself when I said it. Love is what really matters. If people truly love each other they can overcome everything." She looked into his eyes trying to find at least some reminiscence of love she used to see in them, but in vain. Tears streamed down her face and her shoulder sagged, "The truth is, Cole, that you just don't love me anymore. And you blame me for making your life so miserable and destroying our relationship."

Cole sighed. He did not know what to say. Phoebe brushed away her tears and stared at him her eyes sparkling, "Just be honest with me, Cole," she yelled. "Stop being so damn calm and wise and tell me the truth that you hate my guts, that you think I am a heartless bitch who betrayed you and ruined our marriage."

Cole was taken aback by her outburst. He looked at her eyes and for once he saw in them the same rebel girl who did not vanquish him three years ago. This girl deserved the truth. He took a step towards Phoebe and looked her straight into the face.

"I have never thought," he started slowly accentuating each word, "that you were the only one guilty that our marriage did not work out. I know you have suffered with the whole Source's thing and even before with Raynor. At the same time it's true that five months ago I thought that you had killed our relationship. And not even by vanquishing me. Hey, I could even try to understand why you did it. You were scared and your sisters certainly did not help. But I could not forget how you gave up on me in the Wasteland when I asked you for help and after I got back how you kicked me out of your life without even trying to understand what I went through. I hated you at the time. But now I think that we just were not meant to be together. We are too different, we come from too different backgrounds and we want different things in life. We gave it our best shot and it did not work. And I am grateful to you for seeing this before I did."

His words hurt Phoebe but she tried to hide it behind a wan smile. "Well, at least you are honest with me now."

Cole smiled appreciating her bravery, "I don't want to hurt you, Phoebe," he said. "God is my witness I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life for awakening my humanity. And I want you to know that I don't regret anything that happened between us. It's just that it was time for both of us to move on... in different directions."

Phoebe could not hold her tears anymore. She covered her face with her hands and started crying. A warm hand lied on her shoulder and she leaned on Cole's strong frame. They stood like this for a while. When Phoebe finally managed to regain control of her emotions, she decided to ask the question which was brewing in her head for the last months.

"Cole," she asked, "What is it about Nicole Berg that I don't have?"

The half demon hesitated for a moment and then answered honestly, "Phoebe, it's not about you being not good enough for me. You are a fantastic woman any man can only dream about. It's about me and the way she makes me feel. Remember I told you that I would die for you. Well, for Nicole I want to live."

The Charmed One nodded dispiritedly. Cole took a step closer to her, "Come on, Phoebe, I will take you back to the Manor. Underworld is not a place for the Charmed One."

He offered her his hand and Phoebe clasped her fingers around his. He blurred away and they reappeared in the hallway of the Halliwell's Manor. Still holding his hand Phoebe looked at her ex husband.

"Well," he said, "I should go."

She nodded, "Will I see you again?" she asked.

He lifted his eyebrow, "Of course, I am not moving to a different reality and considering our respective jobs we are bound to meet."

She shook her head, "No, I don't mean like that, will I see you in private? Like a friend?"

Cole looked at her and for a moment he was tempted to say "yes" but then Nicole's face stood in front of his eyes. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Phoebe," he said gently.

"Oh," she stammered, "I understand. You still cannot forgive me for what I have done."

Cole shook his head, "It's not about forgiveness Phoebe. Me and you will never be friends. We have been through too much, neither of us will be able to ever forget it and it's stupid to act as if nothing happened."

He noticed how her lips trembled and took her hand into his, "Look at me, Phoebe," he asked softly and when she lifted her eyes, smiled at her. "Maybe we are not going to be friends in the usual meaning of the word but we will be two people who understand each other, respect each other and will always help each other if it ever comes to it. It's more than most people ever have."

His smile made her insides melt and she nodded. Cole returned her smile, "Take care, Phoebe." He let go of her hand and shimmered out. The Charmed One remained standing in the hallway her hand still outstretched as when he was holding it.

"Buy, Cole," she whispered, "till the next life where I will never let you go."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

When Phoebe lost her Goddess' powers, Leo finally closed the container and sighed with relief. The Titans were vanquished and the Charmed Ones were safe with their powers back to normal. He was about to orb out of the Manor when he saw Piper walking into the living room. An awkward silence fell between them.

"I was about to go," he muttered not sure if she was still mad at him.

"Oh," she did not move and Leo could not take his eyes of her. He did not see Piper like this for so long. And she was so beautiful that he could not force himself to leave. Finally he gathered his courage and was about to orb out when she stopped him, "Leo, what happened? I mean what happened when you left to become the Elder?"

The former whitelighter opened his mouth prepared to repeat his story but she interrupted him, "Don't lie to me Leo. I think I deserve to know the truth. And I am not stupid, I know that Cole and Nicole are involved in all this."

He jerked his head: he was not prepared for this question and for sure did not expect Piper to link him becoming an Elder and Cole. She noticed his hesitation and pressed further, "Look, Leo, I am your wife and I have the right to know why my husband left me seven months pregnant and went off to fulfill his destiny or something. And don't try and tell me that Cole is not involved. The way the three of you showed up yesterday was a proof that you were working with them and I want to know why?"

Leo sighed. He knew that she was right and even if they never would be together again, he had to tell her the truth or at least part of it. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look her in the face.

"Look, Piper, Cole had nothing to do with the Council asking me to become an Elder. But he had something to do with me accepting it. Cole and Nicole are serving the power which protects the balance between good and evil. And I am trying to help them the best I can."

Her brown eyes looked at him in disbelief. "You are working with Cole?" she asked. "With this evil bastard, who ruined Phoebe's life? How can you do that!!!"

"He is not an evil bastard," Leo shot and when Piper waived her hand dismissing his words continued grabbing her shoulder, "Listen to me, I have not been brainwashed by Cole. When Nicole Berg came out with this whole speech that Cole was an innocent man possessed by the Source, I did not believe her. But since then I had got a conformation that she was right. And from no one else than the Elders. They knew all along that Cole was possessed but did not tell us because they did not want him and Phoebe to be together. And it did not matter that he was stripped of his powers, he still had his demonic genes and the Elders were scared what kind of child him and Phoebe could have had."

His wife stared at him in shock, "That's not possible," she uttered.

Leo ran his hand through his hair and sighed tiredly, "But it is. When we vanquished the Source we killed Cole alongside him."

Piper plopped on the sofa. "I can't believe it..." she said in shock, "What will happen to Phoebe if she finds out?"

Leo sat down next to his wife, "I think she already knows," he said quietly and when Piper stared at him questioningly explained, "I have been keeping an eye on you and your sisters and I know that Phoebe cast a past premonition spell. It showed her what had happened then."

Realization hit Piper, "That what she was talking about," she whispered and turned to Leo, "she said that she had faced the truth about her life!"

Leo nodded, "Well, I have done the same," he said quieter, "And I apologized to Cole. I don't think we ever would be friends but at least we can try to respect each other."

Piper sat silently for a moment and then faced her husband, "So what about the horrible things that would happen to us if you did not become the Elder? Was it all a lie?"

"No," Leo shot, his eyes boring into hers, "It was not a lie. It was the one, solo reason for me becoming the Elder. I can feel guilty towards Cole and might want to redeem myself by doing something back for him, but I would never leave you just to calm my conscience. You are number one for me Piper, you and our baby are my love, my life and my future. And so that we have this future together, I had to leave."

"And you can't tell me what is it that threatens our future?" she asked trying to sound calm.

Leo sighed, "No, I can't. I wish I could but I am bound to secrecy."

Piper nodded. "OK," she said.

Leo stared at her with disbelief his throat suddenly becoming very dry, "OK?" he repeated hoarsely, "You mean..."

Piper looked at him and said quietly, "I mean that I understand why you left and I believe that you are trying to protect me and our child." She sighed and continued slowly, "And though being without you is very difficult for me and I still don't like the fact that you are keeping secrets from me I accept that you don't have a choice and trust that if things change you will tell me the truth."

"Piper!" Leo took her hand and buried his face in it.

She smiled and gently stroked his hair. It was so good to have Leo next to her again. During the last months she missed him so much. Today she once again remembered why she first fell in love with him. He was kind and calm and she could see love and adoration in his eyes. But even more for the first time today she noticed that her husband possessed an unbelievable inner strength, he took decisions and stuck to them, he was an incredible force behind three sisters and even when they fought the Titans Piper always knew that everything would be fine because Leo was with them. She was surprised that she had never noticed it before. Neither had she noticed how incredibly gorgeous her husband was. Ever since she married Leo and Phoebe met Cole the half demon was always considered as the hot one and Leo was the reliable one. But today when two men stood side by side dressed in black jeans and dark shirts they definitely looked level play. Piper snapped from her thoughts, she still had one important question to ask. And the answer would define how her life would go at least in the foreseeable future. "I have just one more question, Leo?" she said softly. He lifted his head and saw her eyes boring into his. "When will you come back? I don't need the exact date but at least some indication, a month, a year? How long do we have to be apart?" Piper studied her husband's face and she could not help noticing how his eyes darkened and how he immediately became more distant.

Leo lowers his head and said slowly, "I am not going to lie to you, Piper. I don't know. I doubt that it would be a month. The Elder's Council is destroyed and I have to help rebuilding it. And after that there would be several things to sort out. And I have no idea how long it would take." He finally got the courage to look at her. "I..." he did not know what to say, "I realize that I can't ask you to wait for me indefinitely and in the meantime to put your life on hold. You deserve much better. So..." he took a deep breath and continued in a calm but strained voice, "if you want your freedom I will respect your decision and do my utter best not to stand in your way."

He finally said it. Leo did not know how he managed to utter these words. But one look at Piper made him forget all about his own pain. She sat on the couch completely pale her eyes full of tears.

"You want a divorce?" she whispered.

"No," Leo shot, "I don't want a divorce, I love you Piper, more than anything and this will never change. But I am not sure that you would want to wait for me when I have no idea when I am coming back. And even more I am not sure that you would want me back in your life after everything I've done and I will have to do. I am not the whitelighter you once knew. I've seen to many things, I've done too much wrong and you might not want..."

He stopped mid sentence when Piper groaned and clutched her belly. "What's wrong?" Leo rushed to her.

"The baby," she whispered trying to breath, "The baby is coming..."

XXXXXXXXX

Nicole paced around the Penthouse impatiently waiting for her husband. What was taking Cole so long? After talking to Phillip she blurred back to the Source's chambers anxious to share the information she received but found the room empty. She quickly realised that Cole had already left the Underworld. She presumed that he would get back to the Penthouse but instead he went to the Halliwell Manor. Nicole did not fancy going there and resigned to waiting for him at home hoping that he would not be too long.

Her patience was on the edge when he finally blurred in.

"Thank God," she cried out, "I was worried what was taking you so long."

He shot her a guilty look, "Sorry," he muttered, "I had to take Phoebe back to the Manor."

Nicole's insides grew tight as always when she heard the name of his ex wife, "Back?" she repeated questioningly.

"Yeah," Cole shifted his weight from one leg to another, "She came to see me to the Underworld and I promised Leo I would try to make some sort of peace with her. Her powers have been going haywire recently and he was worried about the Charmed Ones..."

"Cole," she interrupted him, "you don't have to explain to me why you dropped off Phoebe. I trust you and plus we have much more important issues at the moment."

He gave her a wary look, "What's wrong?"

"When des Noures asked to talk to me he wanted to warn us." She pulled up the sleeve of her blouse with a nervous gesture. "You know how warlocks are good in infiltrating the witchery covens or at least getting close to them?! A week ago he got a report from one of his agents that somebody was trying to organise witches and mortals who in the past were attacked by the Brotherhood of the Thorn."

Cole who was listening to her with acute attention relaxed slightly, "Every large coven was at least once attacked by the Brotherhood," he remarked calmly, "it was a big organisation with several hundreds of members."

"Oh, I know that," Nicole did not support his light tone, "And so do the warlocks. But the agent said that the witches contacted were the relatives of victims of one particular demon." She gave him a meaningful look and added quieter, "Belthazor."

The half demon immediately became alert, memories of how he lost his demonic half fresh in his mind, "Is des Noures sure?" he asked frowning.

"No," Nicole admitted reluctantly, "That's why he did not say anything during the Council meeting. His spy was supposed to get some more information but he disappeared three days ago. At first des Noures did not worry, apparently this half warlock was a bit of playboy."

"Was?" Cole interrupted her.

"Yes, they found him yesterday or what was left of him. Vanquished using an athame."

Cole ran his hand through his hair and started pacing trying to put his thoughts together. His wife looked at him worriedly, "Phillip thinks we should move to the Underworld for a while at least until he finds out any more information. He has instructed all his agents to keep their eyes open. So we hopefully will hear something soon. But I think that he's right. It would be safer in the Underworld for both of us."

"And I agree," Cole got up, "You should go straight away and I'll stay here and try to find out something about this whole thing."

"Oh, no," Nicole glared at him, "You are not going alone," she said sternly. "Either we both go to the Underworld or we both stay here and try to figure out what is going on."

Cole shook his head, "Look, Nicole, you've been up for more than 16 hours. That's not healthy especially for the baby. Plus it's just witches, what can they do against me? And I promise I am not going to fight them, I'll just listen into their conversation and be invisible all the time."

Nicole gave him an unhappy look, "I don't think it's a good idea, Cole."

He smiled and pulled her into the hug, "Everything will be fine," he whispered softly, "I promise. You know yourself that we are going to have a very busy time and it would better if we did not have to look over the shoulders all the time. The sooner we clear everything up the better and safer for the baby."

Nicole nodded, "You promise you'll be careful?" she asked twisting the fabric of his shirt.

"Word of honour," his lips touched hers and Nicole forgot all her troubles. Without breaking the kiss Cole tried to blur away but found himself still in the Penthouse. The half demon pulled away and tried to shimmer but again nothing happened.

Nicole frowned and looked at him, "What's wrong?"

"I can't blur," he said puzzled and opened his palm expecting to see an energy ball hovering above his palm. But once again his powers did not work.

Nicole tried the same and looked at him worriedly, "Our powers don't work." She concentrated trying to extrapolate her inner feelings, "And it's not just our powers, I can't feel any magic at all. And it's not that my senses are wrong. I can still feel the matter of the Universe but it just seems to be inactive."

"The Halliwell's child," Cole whispered. He looked at Nicole, "Remember, that in rare occasions when a powerful magical being is born to a human woman sometimes the magic takes a pause in order to allow the mother to cope with the baby's powers which otherwise could destroy her. Well, Piper Halliwell is not exactly an ordinary human but then her child is more powerful than any baby ever born into this world, so that's why we probably have this pause to allow her to give birth."

Nicole could feel her body tense, "I don't like this," she said worriedly, "Without our powers we are sitting ducks here."

Cole tried to calm her down, "We are not sitting ducks," he said. "First, it's not just us who are powerless, so we don't have to fear from any other magical creatures. And secondly, most people live like this all the time and we for sure are fitter than most of them."

Nicole gave him a sceptical look, "You forget that most people don't have that many enemies as we do. And considering the fact that my mother is somewhere on a lose I don't feel comfortable without the protection of my powers." She looked at him pleadingly, "Please Cole, I don't want you to think that I am paranoid but from the moment I heard this story from Phillip I keep having this horrible feeling in my gut. And ever since I returned to the Penthouse it keeps getting stronger. So can we just get out of here? I know that we can't go to the Underworld, but at least we can go to my uncle's house with electric gate and the door you need a missile to break through."

The half demon was already used to trust his wife's gut feelings. Nicole was not a panic-monger and he would agree with her that the Schwarzlight Manor was a safer place than the Penthouse. He took her hand and they both got into the lift, which took them downstairs to his car.

XXXXXXXXXX

When her son sent her off Elizabeth shimmered into the Signa plane and knocked on the door to a small wooden hut. After a few moments it opened and the penetrating eyes of the Prophet eyes stared at her.

"We need to talk," the demoness said firmly experiencing a strong feeling of déjà vu since it was exactly the same words she said six months ago after coming here for the first time after her son restored her memory.

"Yes, we do," said a deep voice. "Please come in."

When the demoness entered she found that she was not the only guest of this remote hut.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Celina smiled coolly at the demoness, "Same thing you do." The demoness just looked at her suspiciously and the French woman continued, "I believe we have one concern in common."

"No, we don't," the Source objected coldly, "you are a Lugel and therefore your primary concern is your mission whatever it is. I am a mother and my primary concern is Belthazor."

Celina met the black eyes of the demoness with similar cold look, "You are right," she said, "in thinking that our primary concerns are slightly different. You first care about your son and only after that about his wife, and myself I first care about Nicole and only after that about Cole." She paused noticing a slightly surprised expression on Elizabeth's face. "But both of us failed to see the real situation. It's not about him or her. It's about both of them. Neither of them would be able to have a normal life alone. Which makes our task more difficult than we thought before."

The demoness studied the Lugel's face with an acute attention and then turned to the Prophet. "Your potion did not work," she said coldly.

Celina smiled, "It would have if Nicole drank it."

The demoness stared at her surprised, "I saw her drinking it," she exclaimed.

The French woman shook her head, "No, you saw Nicole drinking a glass of wine, which you thought had contained the potion you mixed into it. But in reality the wine contained a very potent mixture of fertility and passion potions."

The demoness stayed silent for a minute and then asked, "Was it you?" Celina nodded silently. "Why?" Elizabeth tried to sound calm.

"To fulfill their destiny," Celina answered simply.

"In which you manipulated them?" Elizabeth retorted sarcastically.

Celina just gave her a dark look. "The goal is everything," she stated calmly.

"Oh, don't give me that," Elizabeth shot angrily, "you say that you care about Belthazor and Nicole. And all you did is put my son's life in grave danger. I wonder what would Nicole say when she finds out that you knew about it and still proceeded with your stupid mission."

Celina paled but tried to control herself, "I had no choice. There are more important things at stake here."

"Of course," Elizabeth lips twisted into a caustic smile and she turned to leave. But the Lugel stopped her.

"Listen to me," she said, "All you know is that Cole is very powerful, well I can tell you that him and Nicole are the Chosen Two, the most powerful creatures in the Universe destined to bring the peace to the world of magic. They were prophesized long time ago. And Lugels were looking for them for centuries. But when the Chosen Two came along we realized that they were part of another prophecy as well. And that's where the complications started."

"What was that prophecy?" the demoness demanded anxiously.

"The prophecy about two powerful magical beings coming together in marriage and producing two heirs, twins who will secure the prosperity of magic world for centuries to come."

"But how do you know that's Belthazor and Nicole are these beings?" the Prophet finally raised his voice.

Celina sighed and submitted to telling the rest of the Prophecy, "Because the Prophecy talked about two Lugels one of whom had incomplete powers."

The demoness moved forward her eyes sparkling brightly, "And Belthazor has defective powers?"

Celina shook her head, "No, not him, but Nicole. Since they are the Chosen Two as long as they are in physical contact his invincibility covers both of them. But on her own she is vulnerable."

"But it does not make sense," Elizabeth exclaimed. "When Belthazor was born I took him to the Prophet and was told that he was destined for great things but his human half would always be his great strength and his great weakness. It will make him vulnerable to love. When he rises above good and evil he will marry a woman. And he will put himself in great danger trying to protect her and their child. That's why I wanted to stop Nicole from getting pregnant."

"But Lugels could not allow it. The prosperity of magic is too important. And the prophecy says that the couple would not last long and that one of the partners would die trying to protect the other one. And if the heirs were not brought into the world by then the future of the magic world would face great uncertainty. We could not risk that."

"But you happily risked the lives of your two members," Elizabeth cried out, "and from what I understand you did not even tell them about it."

Celina shook her head, "We could not. Do you think Cole and Nicole would even come close to each other in the beginning if they knew that they were supposed to have children together? And when they fell in love, would you think that they would stay together knowing that one of them would die protecting another?" She paused and then continued calmer. "You know yourself that their destinies are linked and only together can they be truly happy, that's why you pushed them together as well."

Both women fell silent. The Prophet who so far had not said a word raised his voice, "What is interesting," he started, "is that Belthazor is the one who is invincible, but all the readings I have done for him shows that it's him who will be balancing between life and death."

Celina and Elizabeth stared at him. "I don't know," the demoness said. "And I don't like things I can't understand."

Celina was about to answer when she froze. "Something is wrong!" she said.

"What?"

"My powers," Celina said. "They are gone."

Elizabeth tried to shimmer but nothing happened. "How could it be possible?" she asked.

Celina looked at her thoughtfully, "It's not just us. The magic of the whole Universe has withdrawn. It's sort of taking a break." She swirled around, "Piper Halliwell," she exclaimed. "Her son is very powerful and his birth is marked by the magic forces." She slammed her fist into table, "And we are stranded here."

Elizabeth paled. "It can't be," she said. "Not now."

The prophet stared in front of him, "This what it meant," he exclaimed, "during my visions I always saw a baby being born and magic world coming to the standstill. I always assumed it was the baby of Belthazor but it probably was the Halliwell's child. Which means that," he paled and shot a worried look at two women, "Belthazor's life is on the line now."


	18. Chapter 18

Hello everybody! Here is the next chapter. Please R&R.  
Chapter 18 

The confident roar of the powerful engine and the busy evening traffic allowed Nicole to calm down slightly. She was sitting next to Cole who was skillfully maneuvering the Porsche through the traffic. "It's not that bad," Nicole tried to convince herself, "you've just panicked because you have not slept for almost 48 hours and lost the touch with reality." Soon it will all be over. How long could giving birth to a baby take, four hours? eight? Even if this was to be a really long one, tomorrow morning it would be over. And if they were lucky it might be that this evening everything would be back to normal. The young woman felt her eyes getting smaller and trying to stay awake looked at the side mirror. The green Mazda she saw earlier when they got stuck in a traffic jam near the Tower was still behind them separated from the Porsche by just a few cars. Nicole sleepiness disappeared in a flash.

"Cole!" she turned to her husband.

"I know," he answered tensely. "It's been following us ever since we left the Penthouse."

"Do you think it's a coincidence?" Nicole expressed more her wish than the thought.

"Maybe," he mumbled without much belief in his voice. "We'll find out soon enough."

The traffic in front of them cleared up and Cole pressed the gas paddle. The Porsche sped up and at the next corner Cole sharply turned into the side street just before the lights turned red. They drove for a few blocks constantly checking the side mirrors and their suspicion was confirmed. The green Mazda followed them. The half demon frowned. Nicole was quietly sitting next to him allowing Cole to make a decision. He knew the city much better than she did and most importantly he was the one driving. Just as they approached the next traffic light Cole whispered to her, "Hold on."

He twisted the steering wheel simultaneously pressing the gas pedal into the floor. The tires squeaked and the powerful sports car flew sharply into the right. In the next few seconds Nicole had to clutch the handle really tight not to be constantly thrown around. Cole drove like an absolute maniac. She did not even think that it was possible to drive like that and not to collide with another car. Finally he slowed down slightly and both of them looked behind. The green Mazda was gone and the couple sighed with relief. The half demon turned again and soon they arrived to the Schwarzlight Manor. They got out and Cole observed the damage his stunt driving had caused, "When my powers are back I am going to make this bastard pay for this," he growled.

Nicole smiled wanly and pulled him into the house. She closed the door behind them and put the chain on it. Then she turned to her husband and they exchanged long glances. Both of them were hoping that it was the end of the excitement for this night but at the same time deep inside they knew that it was not going to be that easy. Nicole was the first to raise her voice,

"What are we going to do, Cole?" she asked. "What if there is an attack?"

The half demon frowned. He did not want to worry his wife especially now, when she was pregnant, but he knew her enough to understand that his wife did not need her telepathic powers to see that he was concerned and that his false attempts to play the situation down would only worry her more. He cleared his throat, "I think we need to be ready, though I don't know what exactly we can do. We have no idea who is after us except some vague idea that it would be a mixture of witches and mortals."

"For us there is no difference if they are witches or mortals, since there is no magic in the world at the moment, it's all the same."

Cole shook his head, "No, there is a big difference. Witches don't use guns: they have the same dislike to them as demons. Plus witches would be feeling as insecure as we do, because they are used to rely on their powers. Mortals on the other hand will have no problems using weapons against us. And since we are completely unarmed they will be the most dangerous." He was about to add something else when Nicole brushed past him heading upstairs. "Where are you going?" he called after her.

"To make us less helpless," the young woman disappeared into the office and he had nothing left than to follow her.

"What are you..." He stopped mid sentence when he saw the painting moving away opening the door of a large safe.

Nicole walked to the safe and started to rotate the code knob, "Uncle Will showed this to me," she explained twisting the handle, "just before my mother took me back to England. With time I thought it was a childish dream but when I moved here I found that it was true. He used it to keep a few things including..." She pulled out two pistols and handed one to Cole.

"Why did uncle keep a gun in the house?" he asked. "Being a Lugel, it's not something you will have much use for." He saw Nicole raising her eyebrow and added slightly annoyed, "I know, I know that we are two Lugels as well and at the moment all our powers are no use to us."

Nicole smiled at him, "I know Cole that you have spent all your life having powers, but not everybody has. My father was a half demon and his powers manifested really late and living with the brother and father who were very powerful was dangerous so he learnt to defend himself."

"With that?" Cole grimaced at the pistols. "He would have a tough time stopping a demon with those."

"And with these," Nicole pulled out a set of athames. "Plus sometimes you can be attacked by a vindictive mortal. Just like we are."

"You don't know that," he retorted grumpily. "It might be somebody else!"

Nicole gave him a dark look, "Who else, Cole? Demons? At the moment they are way too busy trying to figure out what happened to their powers. And just like we they feel pretty insecure without them. Plus have you ever seen a demon chasing somebody by car? I was surprised that you could drive like that considering that you shimmer ninety nine percent of the time." She paused waiting for him to retort but he did not say anything a worried frown creasing his forehead. Nicole noticed it and tried to cheers him up, "When did you learn to drive like a stuntman?"

Cole gave her an unhappy look, "Twenty years ago," he muttered, "For a bet that I could get into an elite police force without using magic."

Nicole's eyebrow traveled up, "Officer Turner," she drawled as if tasting the sound of his name, "You'll have to tell me about it sometime." She sobered up and put the pistol behind her belt. "Well, this experience will be useful now though I really hope that nobody is going to attack us at least until Piper gives birth."

Cole did not say anything though his gut sincerely disagreed with her suggestion. He told his inner voice to shut up but it did not help much. "Okay," he said trying to come up with the plan of action, which would allow him to do something instead of just sitting and waiting. "Shall we go to the attic and have a good look around. See if this green Mazda is somewhere near by?"

Nicole nodded and followed him upstairs. A rustling noise coming from the ground floor made them stop in their tracks. After exchanging a few glances the couple changed the directions and started descending making sure to move as quiet as possible. The hallway was empty and the front door looked securely closed. Another noise came from the back of the house and Cole swiftly moved towards the kitchen. The back door was still intact but the rustling sound became louder. It was obvious that somebody was trying to enter the Mansion.

Cole pulled out his gun and with the corner of his eye saw Nicole repeating his gesture. For a second he regretted that their telepathic link was not there but the next moment Nicole proved to him that their way of thinking was similar enough to live without it.

"Who is there?" she raised her voice.

The rustling noise stopped and the tensed silence reigned for a few seconds. Nicole raised her voice again, "Whoever you are, get the hell out of here or I will call the police."

This time they did not have to wait for reply, "Don't worry, madam," the male voice came from behind the door, "there is no need. We are from FBI, can you please open the door."

Nicole just snorted, "I am not that stupid," she shot, "FBI does not come from the back door."

Another pause of tensed silence followed and Nicole pulled out her cell phone. "I am dialing 911," she said loudly. The next moment she heard a gun shot and the kitchen window broke into pieces. The bullet was aimed at Cole who dived behind the counter just in time. Nicole followed his example and joined her husband on the floor. The next moment she could hear the sound of the sirens and the megaphone enhanced voice announced.

"This is Inspector Daniels speaking. The mansion is surrounded by the FBI. I have a warrant for the arrest of Cole Turner on the suspicion of multiple murders. Come out with your hands up and nobody will get hurt. If you don't surrender within next 5 minutes the building will be stormed and I can't guarantee anybody's safety."

Nicole shot Cole a puzzled look. A horrible feeling crawled into his heart. They were surrounded in a massive house with many rooms and multiple windows -the objective impossible to defend by two people with mortal weapons. And he could not risk Nicole getting hurt.

"Cole," her whisper snapped him out of his thoughts. "Let's go."

The half demon stared at her, "Where?" he whispered back.

"To the garage," she hissed impatiently. "There is a door from the back of the hallway." She turned on her knees ready to crawl towards the exit when he stopped her.

"We are not doing it."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a suicide," he shot impatiently still remembering to keep his voice down.

"No it's not," she hissed angrily, "suicide is to stay here. Did not you hear what that guy said?"

As a conformation to her words the megaphone voice announced nonchalantly. "Four minutes left."

Cole made a move to get up but Nicole stretched her leg and hit his ankle. "What the hell are you doing?" Cole yelled in a whisper finding himself flat on the floor.

"That's what I was about to ask you?" she hissed at him, her eyes sparkling furiously. "Cole, have you gone mad? All they want is for you to walk out of here so they can comfortably shoot you."

"How do you know?"

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Do you really believe that this is FBI?" she asked angrily. "Come on, Cole, face the facts. This is the little clique Phillip was talking about. They know that they would have no chance against you if your powers were active so they decided to use the only chance they would probably get."

The half demon shook his head impatiently. "Fine," he shot caustically, "but it does not change anything. Even if you are right and this people are not FBI do you think they would care whether or not I surrender myself or not? If I don't come out they are going to storm the building and comfortably shoot both of us. Is that what you want?"

"Well, it is better than walking out of here like a sheep to the slaughter. Plus we don't have to sit here and wait. We still have a chance to escape first if we head to the garage now."

Cole sighed tiredly, "I can't do this Nicole," he said calmly, "It will be a complete gamble. They are not stupid and must know about the garage as well. It would be very heavily guarded. It's too dangerous and I am not going to put you and the baby in such a risk."

"But Cole..." she tried to protest.

"No, Nicole," his voice sounded gentle but stern, "I won't risk your safety. And if you love me you won't risk the safety of the baby."

"Three minutes," the hated voice announced, "Mr. Turner think about the safety of your wife. I have a permission to shoot anybody who prevents me from arresting you."

Nicole paled and the half demon was about to get up, but she caught his hand, "Wait," she pleaded and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. With shaking hands she dialed a number and impatiently listened to the long rings. "Please pick up," she prayed silently, "Celina, pick up." But her plea was not heard. Nicole bit her lip and dialed another number. This time she had more luck,

"Inspector Morris," she heard on the other side.

"Darryl," she exclaimed remembering to keep her voice down, "It's Nicole Turner. Something is wrong, my house is surrounded by the FBI: they have a warrant to arrest Cole for multiple murders. They threaten to storm the house if he does not come out."

"I don't know anything about it," Darryl's voice was full of surprise. "FBI does not report to us."

"Well, can you do something?" Nicole pleaded.

Inspector thought for a moment, "I can try to come up and find out what's going on. Why don't Cole use one of his powers and get out of there while I make some enquiries."

"He does not have any powers," Nicole tried to hold back tears, "That's the problem. Piper Halliwell's baby is being born today and the magic is taking a break. We are powerless, all of us."

"Two minutes," the megaphone voice interrupted the conversation.

Darryl stood up, "Who is the officer in charge?" he asked. "Daniels?"

"Yes," Nicole heard inspector sigh with relief.

"Look," Darryl said calmer, "I know Daniels. He is a very decent guy. He won't do anything bad. So Cole is better of coming out of the house. Would be much safer for both of you than if the Feds stormed the mansion. I will try to be there as soon as I can and see what I can do. The worse thing that could happen is Cole having a rough night of questioning. And tomorrow all your powers will be back to normal and you can restore everything to the way you want."

Nicole could feel a flare of hope in her heart. "OK," she said quieter and disconnected. She turned to Cole. "Darryl says that he knows Daniels. He is a real FBI officer and you should be safe. Darryl is on his way."

Cole smiled at her, "Well, you see. It's not that bad," he said reaching for her hand. "Just promise me that you will stay here and won't come out until it's safe and Darryl is here."

"One minute," they heard the voice both of them learnt to hate very quickly.

Cole handed Nicole his gun. She clutched his hand not wanting to let him go. He smiled at her, "I'll be fine, I promise." And with one last look at her face he raised his voice, "OK, officer, I am coming out. Unarmed. Tell your men to take it cool."

The half demon pulled his palm out of his wife's grip and lifted his hands up. He slowly made his way to the door, twisted the knob and opened it. The sound of multiple gunshots combined with the sharp pain. Years of demonic training paid off. Ignoring the pain Cole jumped, regrouped in the air and disappeared behind the counter. He collapsed on the floor hissing with pain. A black shadow jumped up and he heard loud gunshots coming from above his head. Holding a gun in each hand Nicole shot the two soldiers which were the closest to the house. In a reckless somersault she reached the door and banged it close. She rushed to her husband and paled seeing how heavily he was bleeding. "Cole," she called and he opened his eyes.

Her hands pulled his shirt open. "It's OK..." he whispered barely audible, "They are not lethal... I think..." Nicole's eyes hurriedly swept over his body. One of the bullets went straight through his right shoulder, the other wound was just below the collar bone but the third bullet was the most dangerous, it hit his side and she could see a large blood stain spreading around it. Nicole took a harsh breath. The noise coming from outside made her jerk her head. "Cole," she whispered to him. "You have to help me." She crawled around him and pulled the collar of his shirt. The half demon hissed but using his legs and the healthy arm tried to help her pulling him. In what was just a few seconds but to them felt like ages she managed to drag him out of the kitchen and through the hallway. They were at the garage door and Cole felt as if he was going to pass out from pain when they heard a loud bang. Nicole did not have to guess twice. The FBI had blown up the back door into her house.

"Cole, get up," she yelled and concentrating all her strength pulled him up to his feet. The half demon groaned with pain, but leaning most of his weight on her and clutching a towel he picked in the kitchen to his side, he managed to stumble towards the car. Nicole opened the back door of her uncle's SUV and Cole collapsed on the back seat. She ran around the car to the driver's seat when the front door of the garage exploded. Trying to protect her eyes Nicole lifted her hand and to her surprise instead of flying towards her the wreckage changed its direction and flew towards the exit. The next moment she saw an energy ball forming in her hand.

The same time a group of soldiers entered the garage through the back door. "She has her powers back," one of them yelled. The other one raised his hands trying to freeze Nicole but his power did not have any affect. The energy ball in her hand turned into the massive fireball.

"Too right," a wry smile twisted Nicole's mouth and her eyes sparkled dangerously. "And too bad for you..." Her hand made a swift move and the next moment the fire consumed the intruders.

A loud explosion made Darryl jump out of his car without even bothering to switch off the engine. He rushed towards the Schwarzlight Manor and froze on the spot. In the wreckage of what used to be a garage stood a lone female figure and Darryl with shock recognized in it Nicole Turner. Her usually blond hair was now covered with dust looking almost black just like her eyes which had flames sparkling in them. Her hands were outstretched a stream of fire shooting from one of them and the bolts of lightening coming from the other. The figures in FBI uniforms were running away from the Mansion. But electricity and fire reached them like sniper's bullets.

A teenage boy came running towards Darryl, he was crying with fear, "Please help me," he pleaded, "please make her stop."

Darryl finally found his tongue. "Nicole," he shouted running towards her, "Stop it, they are not a threat to you anymore." He started to run faster, "They are not a threat, Nicole..."

The black eyes stared at him and for a second Darryl thought that it was his last breath so much anger and pain he saw in them.

"Nicole," Darryl heard another voice coming from the wreckage of the garage. The black eyes blinked and turned green.

"Cole?" Nicole turned around not believing to see her husband standing near the SUV.

He smiled at her and she smiled back ready to run towards him when Cole's face suddenly paled, "Behind you," he yelled. But it was too late. Emma the woman who had destroyed his demon half plunged an athame into Nicole's back.

"If I can't kill you, Belthazor, I will at least kill your wife," she cried out. A well aimed energy ball hit her straight into the back and the woman disappeared in flames. Elizabeth hurried towards Nicole who started to fall expecting a horrible pain she once felt when Leo killed her but suddenly the young woman realized that the athame did not even penetrate an inch into her body and the small wound had already healed. She turned her head and saw Cole who was still standing next to the SUV his eyes smiling at her.

"It was one of my best decision to pass my invincibility to you," he cocked his eyebrow and Nicole smiled at him feeling the warmth spreading all over her body.

The cold voice sounded behind her, "It was indeed." Nicole jerked her head and saw her mother standing near the gate. The next moment Nicole was thrown away by a massive explosion. She scrambled to her feet and looked around wildly. In the settling dust she saw the wreckage of what used to be the big SUV.

"Cole," Nicole made a step towards the place where he stood, "Cole..." she yelled but nobody answered. Nicole concentrated all her powers and sent the telepathic signal of such strength that it deafened telepaths in most of the realms, but her call was not answered. The silence hit Nicole with the force of the bullet. She swayed and a cry escaped her mouth. "No..." Nicole swirled round and her eyes met the grey ones belonging to Katherine Berg.

The older woman looked at her daughter with hopeful eyes, "It's over, Nicole," she said emotionally, "he is gone and you are finally free from him and from the curse he placed on you."

Her daughter stared at her silently and the next moment her eyes turned black and the lightening struck from them hitting Katherine into the chest. The older woman gasped and stumbled back.

"You," Nicole's voice was full of mad hatred, "you killed my husband because you thought he placed me under the curse?"

Katherine winced and stared at her daughter with understanding pity, which had a slight hint of fear. "Of course," she tried to sound calm, "he poisoned your soul. I could not let him have you. But now when he's dead the curse will wear off with time and we can go back to England and live a normal life."

A strange smile touched her daughter's pale lips. She raised her hand and Elizabeth felt as if she was suddenly short of air. "You know what you achieved, mother?" Nicole's voice was suddenly very calm, "except for the obvious one destroying my life by killing the father of my unborn child? Well, I will explain to you. You have just made sure that my soul would go straight to hell because in less than a minute I am going to commit a cold blooded murder and kill a defenseless mortal." She lifted her hand slightly higher and Katherine's eyes filled with horror while she struggled for breath. "I see you start to understand," Nicole continued, "I am talking about you, mother. You thought that Cole had put me under a spell? Well you were wrong. My love to Cole made me happy, it made me a better person who wanted to help others so they could be happy as well. Without him I don't care about all this, all I want is revenge and I am going to get it. And nobody..." Nicole raised another hand and Darryl who rushed towards them was thrown backwards by a powerful force shield, "nobody will be able to stop me. Do you see what you made me, mother, do you see what you turned me into?" Nicole raised her hand further, her eyes becoming bottomless flames shooting in them.

As the invisible strand around her neck became tighter, Katherine's face turned purple and she looked at her daughter with a fearful disbelief, "You won't be able to kill me," she managed to croak, "your father made me invincible."

Nicole's lips twisted into a chilling smile, "Not any more," she said sarcastically, "See, mother, you misjudged the situation. You thought that Cole was just a demon, but he was a Lugel, just like me and by killing him you became powerless yourself, you became mortal. _The one raising his hand against his brothers would be damn and helpless._" Her smile disappeared. "Good bye, mother, I hope you burn in hell." Her palm clenched into a fist and the stream of power shot through Katherine destroying not only her body but also shuttering her soul into a million pieces.

Nicole lowered her hand and the force shield disappeared. She looked at three people standing in front of her. All three of them stared at her in shock and nobody paid any attention to a vortex of the different colored mist hovering over the ruins of the building and a small silver cloud floating slightly apart from it. The cloud slowly drifted towards the vortex and when it finally reached it the swirl transformed into a shape of the comet. With a sudden gust of wind the powers rushed through Nicole's body forcing her to bend in half.

"Cole!" she screamed falling to her knees. Her eyes turned green again and she fainted.

Darryl caught her up and Celina stood motionless looking at the unconscious young woman. "The prophecy is fulfilled," she whispered, "The two BORN Lugels are coming into the world."

xxxxxxxx

Author's note: This is not the last chapter!!!


	19. Chapter 19

Hello Everybody! Thank you very much for reviews. Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 19 

Inspector Morris stopped his car in front of the Halliwell Manor and switched of the engine. He rubbed his face and tried to calm down enough so that at least his hands stopped shaking. What he saw today shocked him to his very core. After working with the Halliwell sisters for five long years he was used to freaky stuff happening all over the place. But the way Nicole Berg vanquished pretend FBI agents and then killed her own mother had simply scared the living hell out of him. Darryl had met Nicole only once when he came to confront Cole about the fire in the Towers. She seemed to him like a very nice and somewhat naïve young woman. He thought that she was no match for Cole in a sense that the strong personality of the half demon would completely suppress her. But what he saw today completely changed his mind. And once again proved to him that a hurt woman was much more dangerous than any man could possible imagine. Though thinking about it he would not fancy seeing how Cole would avenge the death of his wife. But it was not meant to be. Darryl could not believe that the invincible Cole Turner who died so many times was finally gone and though the only thought of Nicole Turner brought out his deepest fears he could not help feeling sorry for her. There was no doubt that she really loved Cole and the way her own mother killed him in front of her eyes must have been awful. Darryl did not know how people lived after something like that. And it's not like she had a loving family to support her. These people surrounding her, if you could call them that, were not the nicest bunch.

Darryl remembered how a tall man with rich brown skin materialized next to him and took Nicole out of his hand. He exchanged long glances with the French woman and the latter turned to Darryl and ordered him to leave. When he tried to object pointing out that they would need his help covering the whole thing especially since half the Mansion was lying in ruins she just smiled, waived her hand and the next moment the building looked as if nothing had ever happened. Then the woman told him that he should not meddle with things he did not understand and that they would take care of everything. And before Darryl knew she clicked her fingers and he found himself back in his car. Almost automatically he drove to the Halliwell Manor trying to gather his courage to tell the sisters and especially Phoebe about what happened. Darryl got out of his car and knocked. A few long moments passed before the door swung open and Darryl was greeted by the one person he truly dreaded seeing.

"Hi Darryl," Phoebe smiled at him, "How are you?"

The police inspector stared at her trying to find the words how to tell this woman that her ex husband, the one she still loved so much, was dead.

XXXXXXX

After getting rid of the police inspector Celina turned to Sylvester, "We should go," she said quietly.

He nodded and was about to blur away when a cold voice interrupted him, "And where exactly are you planning to take my daughter-in-law?"

Two Lugels stopped and turned to face the Source of All Evil. Elizabeth was deadly pale but her eyes shined with sheer determination.

"We are taking her where she belongs." Celina replied gently.

The demoness arched her eyebrow. "You mean to the Underworld?"

"No," Sylvester shook his head, "The underworld is not her home. We are taking her to the place where she'll be safe. She needs rest and care after such trauma."

Elizabeth gave him a contemptuous look, "She will need rest and care," she agreed coolly, "but not from you. You have already proven that all you are capable of is using your precious Chosen Two for your high goal and you don't give a damn about what happens to them."

The Lugel's dark eyes sparkled dangerously but he concealed his anger behind a light smile, "I think this is a bit much coming from the Source of All Evil."

"I am a mother," Elizabeth replied with great dignity, "A mother who has just seen her only child die while you stood here and did nothing to save him more concerned with your prophecy than with the lives of two of your members." She noticed how Celina paled and a bitter smile touched her lips, "I see the truth hurts, doesn't' it?" Elizabeth pointed at Nicole, "This girl is everything I have left, she and her children are the only family I've got and I swear to you that I will not let you use them again." Her eyes sparkled brightly from the unshed tears and she continued quieter, "I made a promise to..." she could not force herself to say his name, "...to my son that I would help and protect his wife and children and nobody, even Lugels, can force me to break this promise."

"I don't think you have much of a choice," Celina remarked quietly, "As you rightly guessed we are Lugels and therefore are much more powerful than you can even imagine."

Elizabeth's lips twisted into a sarcastic smile, "Oh, I don't doubt that. But you forget one thing. As a demon I am used to fighting more powerful opponents. I know that everybody has a weakness and the allmighty Lugels as well. Your weakness is your goal. I know how hard you've been working on this peace deal and you are well aware that I am the key for it to happen. You can of course kill me but you know that it would just cause the Underworld falling into even worse chaos than before. And without Belthazor it is very unlikely you would find somebody else to do the job."

The two Lugels exchanged long looks and Celina spoke up in a much calmer voice, "I understand your feelings, believe me, but you must realize that what happened here is beyond Underworld or even this whole realm. For the first time ever the Lugels powers were transferred to the unborn children. It means that Nicole's and Cole's children would be the first Lugels to be born. They have been prophesized from the creation of magic and their destiny is to secure the prosperity of the magic world. I know that we had to pay an awful price for this but since there is nothing we can do to change this we must make sure that this sacrifice was not for nothing. All we want to do is to help Nicole through this time and make sure that she and the babies are safe."

Elizabeth looked at the Lugel disgustedly, "Listen to yourself," she spat, "you have completely lost touch with reality and even your words are as fake as your feelings. If you want to help Nicole you are not going to take her into some God forsaken reality you people call the Lugels realm where all she'll be left with is thinking about Cole and having to face the fact that her happiness and the life of her husband were sacrificed to the BIG GOAL. Nicole needs to go somewhere where she would be surrounded by people, who truly love her, who would grieve with her and who would give up their lives for her and the babies."

Sylvester's lips twisted into a caustic smile, "Excuse me, I've lost you, are you talking about the Underworld."

Elizabeth pale face became slightly flashed, but she did not let her anger to spill, "Whether you want it or not, Nicole is the Princess of the Underworld, and she has family there. Not just myself but there are two warlock covens who would die to save her and I doubt that any of you lot would do the same."

Sylvester was about to retort but Celina stopped him, "She is right," the French woman said sadly. He shot her a puzzled look, "I mean," she continued, "that we are acting heartless and not thinking about Nicole. She would not want to go to the Lugel's realm. Everything there would just remind her of Cole and I am sorry to say that," she turned to Elizabeth, "but the same goes for the Underworld." She thought for moment. "I think William left Cole a villa in Carmel which belonged to his father? From what I know Cole and Nicole have not been there yet. We should take Nicole there. I know from William that Cole loved that place and it would help Nicole: to be it the house where he grew up but at the same time she would not be surrounded by things that belonged to him."

XXXXXX

Nicole was lying on her back staring into the blue sky. Life was over, Cole was gone. She could feel the emptiness in her heart, the void in the place where he used to be. What was she going to do without him? Carry on with her life in the aim of the Goal and for the sake of their children? Being a Lugel she could easily be looking at eternity alone. Just the thought of it made her sick. Her children would long be grown ups. The Goal, whatever it was, would long be replaced by another one. And she would still be stuck in the world of the living. If only her and Cole were demons or humans or anybody else for that matter she would be looking to join him soon enough even without contemplating a suicide and in he meantime she could summon his ghost. But Lugels were not given such privileges. Now invincible and immortal, she was facing centuries of loneliness knowing that only when she'd fulfill a mysterious purpose she would be allowed to join her husband in some weird realm from which there was no way back. And just to think that it was her mother who killed him, her own mother! The one that was made invincible and completely psychotic by her own dearest father. What a joke!!!

"I am very sorry about it," said the voice behind her.

She turned around and saw a man in his mid thirties. The bright sun which sat behind him made it difficult for her to make out his face. "Who are you?" Nicole asked this question more because she knew he expected it than from her own curiosity.

He smiled, "You don't recognize me?" He took a step closer and Nicole noticed that he had familiar green eyes and dirty blond hair. "Well, I am not surprised," he continued, "You were very little when you saw me last time... I am your father, Robert Schwarzlight."

The young woman shook her head, "I am not in the mood for jokes," she said plainly, "especially such bad ones."

The man sobered, "I am not joking."

"But..." she started, "But you are dead and since you were a Lugel you can't come back even as a ghost."

He smiled understandingly, "Well, officially that's true. But you'll be surprised what 25 years of boredom and some extensive rule breaking can help you achieve." His smile disappeared and he looked at her seriously. "I don't have much time. I am not supposed to be here. And if I am discovered..." he paused, "well I don't really know what's going to happen and I don't fancy finding out. Anyway it's not important." He came closer and took her hands in his. "I need to tell you something. And though your uncle thinks I am mad and maybe he has a point, I've decided that you deserve to know..." His eyes glimmered with worry and anxiety. "I feel responsible for creating a monster, which Katherine became. I passed her my invincibility and left you vulnerable and I was the one who told her about Lugels and made her dangerous. And now you are paying for my mistakes." He brushed his hair with one hand. "I can't... I just can't see you so unhappy and do nothing. I am your father, I am supposed to protect you, to make you happy and so far all I've done is bring misery into your life."

Nicole took his hand in hers, "It's not your fault."

"Oh, yes it is. I should have been a better Lugel, should have thought more about the dangers of telling Katherine the truth. But I was just madly in love and did not want to listen to warnings." His eyes stared into the distance, "And now I am doing exactly the same..." He shook his head and looked straight at Nicole. "There is a way to try to bring Cole back," he blurted out and seeing her paled face added hurriedly, "It won't be easy and it is very risky for both you and the babies."

Nicole did not let him finish, "How?" her exclamation was full of anxiety.

Robert smiled at his daughter: her reaction reminded him of how he was himself. "By following his spirit into the Upper dimension," he explained, "when a Lugel finishes his life on Earth, his spirit starts a serious of transformations and by the end of it reaches the Upper dimension. But the process is not instantaneous. So if you manage to catch up with Cole's spirit before it finishes the transformations and convince him to come back, then you will be able to resurrect him."

Nicole smiled, "Well, that's does not sound too difficult," she said, "We already have experience in resurrecting the dead."

Her father shook his head, "Don't underestimate the task and the risks involved," his voice became very somber, "It's not as easy as it sounds. First, Cole's spirit already started the transformation and the first thing that happened was that his memory got erased. I know from experience, you forget everything and your mind is filled with only one desire – to reach the Upper Dimension. When you get there, the memory will return but not before, otherwise do you think Lugels would not prefer to stick around as ghosts or something. I know I would have. But by the time my memory returns it's too late. Plus even if you convince it to come back you would need a Lugel to capture his spirit and then for somebody to change the time to the exact moment when Cole died and manage to reunite his spirit with his body and prevent him from dying again. And third, he will return only as a human. Since his powers went into your unborn babies, he wouldn't be a Lugel anymore."

She shook her head, "It does not matter," her voice was full of determination. "We can sort it out later."

She tried to get up but he caught her hand, "It's never been tried, Nicole. And I can't promise you that it will work...I..."

She pressed her hand to his mouth stopping him, her eyes sparkling emotionally, "Don't say it," she whispered, "I know there are no guarantees. But there is hope, now... You gave it to me and I will be eternally grateful for that."

He smiled sadly, "Don't thank me as yet,"he said. "There are many more risks involved than I've told you so far." He paused and continued in a serious stern voice, "In order to follow Cole, you would need to become a spirit yourself. I have a potion to separate your spirit from your body. It should allow you to keep your memory but if it does not then you will end up going after Cole into the Upper Dimension and your body would be left behind as if you were in a coma." He saw her stiffened but forced himself to continue, "Basically you will risk never seeing your children again and them never knowing both their father and mother."

Nicole paled and stared at him. Her pained look made him feel horrible, powerless, guilty and scared. "I am so sorry," he whispered, "Probably William was right I should not have told you... You should not be made to choose..."

She shook her head, "No," she said trying to calm down, "I am glad that you've told me. At least this way I have a choice."

He nodded, "You will need to get at least one of the Lugels to help you to capture the spirits."

Nicole smiled wanly, "Well, I don't think this will be a problem. They are so concerned about their Chosen Two and would give anything to get them back." She noticed a strange look in his eyes and her smiled disappeared, "Or is that not true any more?" He did not reply and Nicole's face turned into frown. "Tell me the truth, father!" she demanded angrily.

It was the first time she called him a father and Robert could not help but almost melt at her words but her searching eyes made him return to the reality, "You forget one thing Nicole," he said gently, "Cole is not one of the Chosen Two any more, neither is he a Lugel. Even if he returns to the mortal realm it would be as a mere human. The destiny of the Chosen Two has been fulfilled." He continued hastily seeing how her eyes sparkled furiously, "You have got the Source in place and the Elder's Council is going to be replaced so the peace deal is almost done. And since you are pregnant and Cole's powers went into your babies, it means that the Heirs of Magic are coming into the world and whether Cole lives or dies does not really matter. What matters is that you and the babies are safe and that's why the Lugels would not want you to risk your life. "

"The Heirs of Magic?" Nicole repeated, "What do you mean?"

He shifted his weight from one leg to another, "It's an ancient prophecy, even more ancient than the Chosen Two. It says about two Lugels coming together in marriage and producing the Heirs of Magic, twin brother and sister, who would be the first ever Lugels to be born with Lugels powers. The two prophecies existed separately and as you know yourself we never expected the Chosen Two to be Lugels. But when you two came along all our plans went down the tubes. You were the Chosen Two and you were Lugels. That's why the Council was in such a rush. The prophecy about the Chosen Two said that they would stay together only for a very short time and one of them would die protecting the other one. But at the same time the second prophecy talked about marriage and conceiving the children."

"So that's why they were pushing us together," Nicole interrupted him her face becoming slightly red with anger. "Just so they could fulfill their damn prophecies. How could they not tell us? They knowingly led us into the trap from which there was no way out. They knew one of us would die and did not do anything, did not even warn us."

Robert lifted his hand, "Don't blame them, Nicole." She seared him with a glare daring him to continue but he was adamant, "Look, I was the youngest Lugel ever and I was still the youngest when I died at the age of 420 after spending 350 years on the Council. I was thought about as a rebellious one and I was. I disagreed and disobeyed the Council many times. But even I've learnt that as a Lugel you ought to think differently and with time you'll understand it as well, believe me. They could not just ignore the prophecies. The existence of the magic itself depended on them. And the fact that they did not tell you - I think it's for the best. Do you think you and Cole would have gotten together if you knew that one of you would die as a result of it? And even if you decided to fulfill your destiny anyway what kind of the relationship would it be? I very much doubt that you would be so much in love and so happy. Think of the pressure such knowledge would have put on you two?"

"But if we were not together Cole would have been still alive?" Nicole's voice rang with unshed tears.

"But what kind of life would he have?" her father looked at her sadly. "You and Cole were meant for each other. You were destined to be together and without one another your lives would be doomed. The Lugels knew that and not only them. Why do you think Cole's mother pushed you together?"

Nicole frowned remembering how Elizabeth basically forced the marriage upon them, "Did she know about the prophecies as well?" she demanded an answer from her father.

Robert smiled, "When Belthazor was born she took him to a prophet. Of course he did not know about the Lugel's prophecies but he told her the destiny of her son. That he would achieve greatness and rise above good and evil. But his human half would always be his weakness and would probably end his life when he would protect his wife and their child. But the prophet also said that without this woman his life would be doomed completely. So that's why Elizabeth pushed you into marriage but gave you a potion so you could not get pregnant. Well, at least she thought she gave it to you but Lugels substituted it for the fertility/passion potion. You know the rest."

Nicole sat down on the grass, "I can't believe all this," she said tiredly, "And I don't have time to think about it. I need to save Cole."

He stared at her, "You decided to risk?" he asked.

She looked straight into his eyes, "Of course," she answered adamantly, "How could you even doubt?!"

"But Nicole," he whispered quietly, "What about the risks?"

She shook her head, "I know about the risks," she shot, "but I also know that if I don't try I would not be able to look at myself in the mirror again. He is my husband, he is the father of my children... I don't... I won't give up on him."

Robert smiled sadly, "I knew you would make such a choice." He handed her a vial, "This is your potion." He said calmer, "I am sorry I can't help you more."

She smiled back at him and gave him a hug, "You did more than I could ever thank you for," she whispered. She pulled away and her eyes sparkled, "Dad, did you hear me, when I was calling for you and uncle Will from the Mausoleum all these months ago?"

"Of course," he arched his eyebrows, "Who do you think inspired you to go and see this husband of yours (who by the way behaved like a complete asshole at the time) in his dreams." He smiled proudly, "My invention." He took a step away from her and looked at his daughter with longing eyes, "Good luck, Nicole." With these words he disappeared but his voice rang in her head, "Your best bet is Celina. Remind her of the Promise."


	20. Chapter 20

Hi everybody. Hope you are still enjoying the story. Here is the next chapter. Please R&R.

Chapter 20 

Leo sat on the couch in a state of complete shock. He could not believe that Cole was dead. It was not possible. Phoebe's voice echoed his thoughts.

"Cole can't die," she stared at Darryl with huge eyes filled with fear, disbelief and pain, "He is invincible."

The policeman shook his head, "He passed his invincibility to Nicole," he explained gently.

Her hopes shuttered Phoebe could not contain herself any longer, she buried her face in her hands and both men could hear the muffled sobs.

Leo rubbed his face, his mind completely overwhelmed with shock, emotions and feelings. He knew that he had to do something, but what? Only now he realized how great it was to work in a team with Cole and Nicole, and even Elizabeth. They were always there to discuss the situation, give advice and share the responsibility, even with the Titans, when he committed such a crime... Leo shook his head, he could not think about it now. He had to try to clear his head. With Piper and their newborn son safely asleep upstairs he did not have to worry about them. Henric had orbed down about an hour ago to inform him that the Elder's realm was now in relative order. The whitelighters were sent away to keep an eye on their charges and tomorrow there was supposed to be a meeting to elect new members of the Council. Leo was planning to orb to the Penthouse later this evening and talk to Cole and Nicole about what steps should be taken. But now... With Cole dead and Nicole... God knows where she was and what she was going to do. According to what Darryl told him, Nicole was not herself and considering how powerful she was, her grief could be very dangerous for the rest of the planet.

Phoebe's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "There must be a way to bring him back..." Leo shot her a puzzled look. Her eyes sparkled anxiously, "Just like we did when Piper died by turning the time backwards." When he did not answer, she continued to develop her idea. "I've seen with my own eyes that Cole's mother is still alive. She is an upper level demon. I am sure she can convince the new Source to save Cole especially considering that he's working for the Underworld again."

Leo shook his head, "Cole's mother is the new Source," he explained quietly.

Phoebe's face lit up, "Well, then it's even better. I am sure she would want to save him. And she can just order Tempus."

"Phoebe, it's not that simple," Leo tried to reason with her. "I am sure that if it had been that easy, Nicole would not have been in such distress."

"She might have not thought about it," Phoebe objected and got up from her seat. "Let's go."

Her brother-in-law gave her a confused look, "Go where?"

"To the Penthouse," she replied impatiently, "Or wherever Nicole and Cole's mother are."

"That's not a good idea, Phoebe," Leo said sternly, "Nicole and Elizabeth probably want to be alone at the moment. We can't just barge on them, plus I highly doubt that they are in the Penthouse and we can't go to the Underworld."

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders, "Of course we can...We've been to the Underworld before and even if we are caught we would ask them to bring us to the Source because this time it's exactly what we want. And about them wanting to be alone-it's a complete nonsense, we are not coming for a social visit. We are talking about saving Cole."

She noticed his hesitation and fixed him with a hard stare, "If you don't take me Leo, I will go there myself. I know just the right spell for it and you know me well enough to understand that I will use it."

Leo cursed silently. Phoebe was always stubborn but when it came to Cole there was no way to sway her. "Fine," he muttered finally, "but first at least try to scry for Nicole. If she is somewhere in the mortal realm our task will be a lot easier."

Phoebe nodded and rushed out of the room. A minute later she returned with the map of the United States in her hand. "I don't have anything of hers," she told Leo. "I would need at least something to guide the crystal."

Leo pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Phoebe, "This should do," he told her remembering how he went to the garden to tell Cole and Nicole that the Charmed Ones had been successfully transferred into the Goddess and he managed to trip over and had his hand covered in dirt. That's when Nicole gave him her handkerchief.

Phoebe did not ask any questions and started scrying. After five minutes she dropped the crystal on the table. "It does not work," she announced. "She either is not in the USA or..." She stopped mid sentence interrupted by the sound of astral projection and the object of her efforts appeared in the middle of the room.

"She is right in front of you," Nicole finished calmly. The middle Halliwell stood still gaping at the woman she had been hating for the past 7 months.

Nicole looked visibly calm but Leo had learnt enough about her to notice how tensed and strained she was. He could not decide whether he should offer her his condolences when Nicole turned to Darryl.

"Inspector, I am sorry you had to witness what happened earlier. It's way more than any human or even magical being should be allowed to see. If you would like we can later arrange that you won't have any memories left from this day." Her lips twisted into a curt smile, which immediately disappeared. "But now I need to speak to Leo and miss Halliwell and if you don't mind I would like to do it in private." She noticed the warning look Darryl shot Phoebe and continued with a wry smile, "I am not going to harm them, Inspector, but I am also very short of time. I don't want to threaten you but unless you get out now I will have to send you some place safe."

Phoebe who finally found her tongue turned to the police inspector, "Darryl, don't worry. Just go, I'll be in touch soon."

He had nothing left to do than to shake his head and leave. When the door behind him closed, Phoebe turned to Nicole and blurted out, "Are you here because you want to save Cole?"

Nicole seemed slightly taken aback, "How do you know?"

The middle Halliwell smiled with relief, "Because I came up with the same idea, we should ask Tempus to turn back the time and then save Cole from dying."

Nicole sighed tiredly and a sad smile touched her lips, "If only it was that simple," she whispered and then forced herself to return to her business tone. "Changing time won't help. Cole's soul..." she paused trying to find the way to explain everything to Phoebe and Leo without disclosing them the information about the Lugels. "Well, it's left this realm. And if we just change the time we will only create an alternative reality in which Cole would be dead anyway. So we need first to find his soul and bring it to this realm and only after that we can change time and try to prevent him from dying."

Phoebe's face fell, "But how?" she started, "How can we find Cole's soul. Where do demonic souls go after death or is Cole going to be considered as a human since Belthazor is dead?"

Nicole shook her head, "I can't tell you where it is because I don't know myself but there is a way to track him." She looked at two people standing in front of her, "I have a potion which can separate my soul from my body and then I can find Cole and hopefully convince him to come back. But I will need to secure help of one of the powerful..." she paused not knowing how to describe Lugels to Phoebe, "magical creatures. They are not exactly evil or good but they have their own interests at heart. And I don't have time for long negotiations so I am asking you to help me."

Her eyes focused on Phoebe, "I know that we are not exactly friends and you probably hate my guts but I believe that you love Cole enough to oversee your feelings for me and help me bring him back. Unfortunately what I want to attempt has never been tried and there are no guarantees but at least it gives us a chance."

"I will do whatever I can to help you," the young witch stated firmly.

"Thank you," for the first time Nicole's smile had actually some feelings in it, "But I will need not only your help but the help of your sisters. I will need you to turn into Goddesses again." She turned to Leo, "The creatures I am talking about are very powerful but none of them would be able to withstand the Charmed Goddesses."

The Elder's eyes became slightly wider and he was about to say something, when Phoebe interrupted him, "Eh, we might have a problem," she started carefully, "my sister had just had a baby, I don't think she'll be fit to become a Goddess."

Nicole turned to her, "Oh, we can fix that," she said calmly.

"How?" Leo frowned suspiciously, "I can't heal her, it's not a magical wound, she is just exhausted after child birth."

"Leo," Nicole rolled her eyes, "I am not going to harm Piper. All I am going to do is to give her own healing powers, which any human has, a little boost. It will help her recover not in a week or a month, but in a few minutes." She noticed the Elder still hesitating, "Leo," her voice sounded very clear and serious, "I swear to you on my life and on my chance to save Cole that I am not lying and that I won't hurt Piper."

XXXXXXXXX

"You want us to do what?" Paige looked at her sister in disbelief.

Phoebe sighed: it was not going to be easy. "I want you to become Goddesses with me so we can help Nicole to resurrect Cole."

The youngest Charmed One snorted indignantly, "You must be joking," she exclaimed loudly. "This bastard is finally gone and you want us to resurrect him? Are you out of your mind, Phoebe?"

"No, I am not," the middle Halliwell tried her best to stay calm, "Cole was murdered, he was an innocent in this situation and the least we can do is help to bring him back."

Paige rolled her eyes, "Phoebe, what are you talking about?! Cole an innocent? I know that you are head over hills in love with him but for God's sake don't come up with such nonsense. Cole is anything but an innocent. Didn't you hear Darryl? FBI is after him for multiple murders - that should tell you something."

"It was not FBI," Phoebe protested, "Nicole explained that her mother got together a group of witches and humans and started a personal vendetta against Cole."

"Vendetta for what?" Paige asked raising her eyebrows and when Phoebe did not answer continued, "Phoebe, you can't hide from the truth. Cole was and in my opinion still is a notorious demon. He killed so many people that he can't even remember. This people have the right for revenge. Think about it, if Shax after killing Prue had suddenly decided to become good, would you just let him go? No. And neither would I. So if you can avenge Prue's death why can't others seek revenge on Cole?"

"Because Cole is different," Phoebe yelled. "Jeez, Paige, have you ever thought what he went through. His father was killed in front of his eyes when Cole was six. Then he was taken to the Underworld and brought up to be a demonic assassin. He was not given a choice. The only way he could survive as a half bred was to be stronger than anybody else and be a loyal servant of the Source. He lived like this for over a hundred years. But still he managed to preserve his humanity even if it was deeply submerged. Why else do you think the Source and the Triad used his father's soul as an insurance against him? And when he was given a chance he managed to change his life, he left everything he'd ever known and started a new life knowing that just by doing that he was putting his life into a great danger. And in my opinion he deserves a second chance."

Paige rolled her eyes, "A second maybe, but he had much more than that. And it always ended up the same way, he killed an innocent. Plus he is evil now, he had returned to the Underworld? Did you forget how he sent fireballs at us?" She paused and continued calmer, "Look, I never insisted on us going after him, because first we are not powerful enough and second because I know you still love him. But now when he is gone, I'll be damned if I am going to help bringing this monster back into the world."

Phoebe stared at her sister angrily and turned to Piper, "And you are thinking the same?" she asked.

Piper gave her younger sister a sympathetic look, "No, I don't. Leo told me about the Source possessing Cole. And I am truly sorry that we did not know earlier. But as it is I don't think we are in the position to go and risk our lives. It's all nice and well for Nicole to suspect that we won't have to fight these magical creatures but what if we do? I have just had a baby and I don't want to go around risking my life. It's hard enough that Leo is an Elder, if something happens to us Wyatt would be completely alone in this world. And I don't want this to happen."

Phoebe's shoulder sagged and for a second his sisters thought that she was going to submit to their decision. But when she lifted her head they saw a sheer determination on her face. "Well, you know what? I am not taking "no" for an answer and this is why. For you, Paige, I just have to say one thing. Whether you like it or not, we had killed an innocent man, a family member, when he was possessed by the Source. And no matter how much you would like to pretend that we did not know, we are guilty of going along with our prejudice and not looking for the truth. When I was turning evil, you did not want to vanquish me, but risked your life trying to save me. But when you thought that Cole was the Source all you cared about was to prove that you were right and you did not even bother to try to get to the bottom of it. Because ever since you found out about Belthazor you hated Cole. It did not matter how many times he saved our asses, for you he was just an undeserving evil demon who should be vanquished." Under her sister's accusations Paige squirmed uncomfortably and Phoebe continued, "You don't like the truth but, trust me, the more you run from it the harder it will hit you. So accept the facts. We are guilty of murder, all three of us. And therefore we have no right to judge Cole. Otherwise we have to apply the same standards to ourselves and I don't know about you but I would like to be given a chance to correct my mistakes and to get on with my life." She glared at her younger sister and turned the oldest Halliwell, "And you Piper, if you had a chance to resurrect Prue, would you risk your life and ask Leo and Cole and everybody else around to do the same? Well, I am asking you to help me save Cole."

Both sisters were deeply moved by her outburst. They exchanged long looks and Paige shook her head. Part of her was convinced that helping to resurrect Cole was the biggest mistake ever. But on the other hand she could not say "no" to Phoebe. Paige remembered the moment when the middle Charmed One decided to become the Queen of the Underworld. During that horrible week Piper told her that she was not surprised that Phoebe had chosen her husband over them. Her love for Cole, she said, could overpower anything. Paige doubted it then and she seemed to be proven right when Phoebe helped them to vanquish Cole and especially when he returned from the Wasteland. But now looking at her sister, she knew that she was wrong and that worried Paige. What would Phoebe do if they were successful and Cole comes back to his wife? And what would happen if they failed?

It seemed that Piper had similar thoughts. She turned to the middle sister, "Phoebes, we understand how you feel. And we will try to help you, but first tell me, what are you going to do if we are successful? You know that Cole won't come back to you?"

Phoebe smiled sadly, "I know he won't. But it does not matter. As long as he is alive...Everything is fine."

"Then we are with you..." Piper smiled and gave Paige a stern look, "Right, Paige?"

The youngest Halliwell nodded, "Right," she agreed, pushing her doubts away.

XXXXXXXXX

"Why is she not waking up?" Celina paced around an empty room which for now became the meeting room for the Lugel's Council, "It's been more than an hour. She is a Lugel, she is invincible, for God's sakes. How can it be that she's is still unconscious?"

"Her body is taking its time," Kara tried to calm her down. And when Celina shot her a doubtful look sighed exasperatedly. "Look, Celina, I ran all the checks. She is absolutely fine and so are the babies. It's probably just a protective reaction. Nicole is pregnant and she went through a big trauma. It's might be best for her and the babies that she is still unconscious. At least she is calm now. And when she wakes up the reality will hit her hard and if I had to give just my professional opinion it'd be better if she just stayed like that at least until ...."

She stopped mid sentence when Celina seared her with an angry glare, "I don't care what your professional opinion is," she hissed. "And it would be definitely better for all of us if you kept your mouth shut."

Vladimir sighed, "She did not mean to upset you," he said gently, "I know you are worried and so am I. You are not the only one who cares about Nicole, but we should try to look at things realistically. For now Nicole is at peace and God knows how she will react when she wakes up and realizes it was not just a horrible nightmare."

Celina did not answer and just shot him a dark look.

Carlos who had been fuming ever since he got into this house finally could not contain his irritation any longer. "What interests me," he started in an annoyed voice, "is why on Earth are we meeting here? Why instead of bringing Nicole into our realm you took her to this God forsaken house."

Celina was in no mood to be lectured, "Because we did not have a choice."

"What do you mean?" Dorian asked in confusion.

The French Lugel rolled her eyes, "I mean that we could not bring Nicole to the Lugel's realm because Elizabeth did not let us."

Carlos just snorted, "And how on Earth did she do that?" he asked caustically, "I have not heard that our new Source was more powerful than two Lugels."

Celina grimaced as if she just ate a raw lemon, "Will you stop being such an obnoxious idiot, Carlos. Or do I have to remind you that she is the Source and we need her to finalize the peace deal. Or do you suggest that we kill her and start from scratch? Because I can tell you now that it was either that or listening to her."

"But we can't conduct our business like that," Radgiv objected, "We have a mission to fulfill and we can't be blackmailed by some demoness."

Celina was about to retort but Vladimir interrupted her, "We know that, but you also have to realize that Elizabeth Turner is not just a demoness. She is Nicole's mother-in-law and the grandmother of the babies. Nicole needs all the support she can get. And from what I know her and Elizabeth had pretty good relationships. So it's very likely she will turn to her not to us."

"Well we should remind her that she is a Lugel and the mother of the Heirs of Magic. She has responsibilities..."

It was Vladimir's turn to roll his eyes, "Oh, Carlos, get back to reality. Do you think Nicole will listen to us? In all honesty I have my doubts she would even want to speak to us after what happened."

"Why not?" Dorian raised his eyebrows surprised.

"Because, she will find out about the prophecies and I suspect blame us for not telling her earlier and manipulating hers and Cole's lives with a very tragic end."

"She does not really need to find out..." Radgiv remarked suggestively.

"But she will..." Celina took a deep breath, "Because Elizabeth Turner knows."

"How?" several voice exclaimed.

Celina shrugged, "Because I told her."

"What?" Dorian cried out.

"I told her," Celina repeated calmly. "She already knew quiet a lot," she continued raising her voice above the noise. "I just filled in the details."

"Why would you do this?" Carlos fumed, "You have breached your duty..."

"I have not breached anything..." Celina snapped, "And stop with all these accusations. Look at yourself, look at this Council. We are supposed to be these wise creatures that see the big picture and all we do lately is argue constantly instead of admitting that we are dealing here with a completely different situation than we are used to. The events are taking their own turn and there is very little we can do about it. And in future it's going to be even worse. We have to face the facts until it's too late. Nicole Turner is not a doll we can manipulate. She is a Lugel, equal to us in her rights and powers. And in the next eight months she will be the most powerful being in the Universe commanding the powers of her unborn children. She is also a woman, who suffered a major loss. And we have to respect it unless we want to lose her and the Heirs of Magic."

"Well said, Celina," the cold voice behind the Lugel made her jump. She swirled round and saw Nicole standing in the doorframe. "Seems that you finally are catching up." The young woman walked into the room but stood quite far from the rest of the group.

Vladimir was the first one to recover from shock, "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Nicole's eyes sparkled strangely, "How do you think?"

"We are just worried about you, Nicole," Dorian raised his voice.

"Are you?" she arched her eyebrow. "I thought somebody here had just said that she would have preferred if I stayed unconscious for the next eight months."

Kara's face flashed red and she muttered, "I did not mean that. I just said that your body was using its natural protective mechanisms and we should not be worried."

Nicole's lips twisted into a wry smile but she did not say anything. The room fell into an uneasy silence. Still standing at a distance from other Lugels Nicole observed the Council. During the last months she came to respect these people. There were her colleagues, her teammates. She did not like all of them equally but she was used to rely on them, work with them. They covered her back and were always there to help. Now she did not know how she felt about them. Part of her mind was receptive to her father's explanation that Lugels had different view on the world and different code-of-practice. She knew about that before and herself acted according to it. And probably Robert was right that if her and Cole were told the truth, their relationship would not be as happy as it was. But the other part of Nicole could not listen to reason. Just the thought that if the Lugels had told her and Cole about the prophecy he might have been still alive infuriated her and she wanted to destroy this people who so coldly manipulated her. The young woman took a deep breath. It was no time for emotions, she had to save Cole and it was the only thing that mattered. She looked around the Council, her eyes stopping on each face trying to determine whether it was a face of a friend or a foe. The Lugels looked at her wary and Nicole decided that it was time to play openly.

"I don't want to start a discussion now about what happened," she started calmly. "It's enough for you to understand that I know the truth about the Prophecies and I see your point of view. So you don't have to waste yours and my time by trying to convince me that the Council did what it had to do. At the same time I want you to understand that none of these reasons, goals or whatever you want to name them is more important for me than Cole's life. Yes, I am a Lugel and one of the Chosen Two and, yes, I am a mother of the Heirs of Magic. But firstly, above all of it I am a wife and I love my husband with every cell of my body. And I will do everything I can to bring him back."

She raised her head and looked around the Council as if daring them to object. Eleven Lugels exchanged wary glances and Dorian replied for everybody. "We understand your grief, Nicole, and believe me we would like to help you. But I don't want to keep up false hopes. You can't bring Cole back. His soul has already started its transformation and you can't turn it back."

She looked at him with penetrating eyes. That was the moment when she would find out if her father was right about the Lugels. "You're wrong," she said calmly. "It takes time for the soul to complete the transformation and until it reaches the Upper dimension there is a chance to bring him back."

"But you don't know where his soul is at the moment," Radgiv exclaimed. "And there is no way to find it. No creature can do this."

"But the soul can," Nicole objected.

"But we don't have such soul, do we?" Carlos started, but Dorian interrupted him.

"Do you suggest that we use your soul to follow him?" he asked with a shocked look.

"Exactly," Nicole nodded, "I have a potion which will separate my spirit from my body. This way I can trace Cole and hopefully bring him back. Then all we would need is to turn back time and reunite Cole's soul and his body."

"But this is incredibly dangerous," Kara cried out. "If you fail your body will fall into the perpetual coma."

Nicole shot her a dark look, "Well, isn't it what you wanted anyway?"

Kara's face turned red and she hissed trying to suppress her anger, "No, I did not. I was worried about you. We all are, and whether you believe us or not we are very sorry for what happened. Cole was one of us, he was a Lugel and you are not the only one grieving."

Nicole's face hardened and the anger which she tried to hide so hard spilled out, "How dare you," she cried her voice trembling, "how dare you telling me that Cole was one of you when you lied to both of us all this time, when you manipulated us?!"

"Nicole," Vladimir interrupted her, "It was not their fault. It was me and Celina that insisted on not telling you about the prophecies. We wanted you to have a normal life."

"You call this a normal life?" she shouted. "How dare you..."

A pair of sad but calm eyes looked at her, "I am really sorry Nicole. But what life would have it been if we had told you?"

Nicole's shoulder sagged, "I understand why you did it..." she whispered. "Or at least I am trying not to think that Cole might have been alive now if you had told us." She shook her head and added tiredly, "I don't want to argue with you. I don't have time for that. I need to save Cole, and believe me nothing you say can change my mind. I will take the risk."

Celina shook her head, "I know you are hurting, Nicole. Believe me, I do, but you have to think about your children. If something goes wrong and you know yourself that a lot can go wrong, what will happen to them?"

Nicole winced as if from strong pain, "Nothing will happen to them," she said quietly, "They will be born and taken care of."

"But they won't see either their mother or father." Celina said softly.

Nicole raised her head and everybody saw tears in her eyes, "I know that," she said in a deadly calm voice, "but if I am successful they will grow up with both their parents." She took a deep breath, "I will not give up on Cole. He was sacrificed before for the sake of other people. I am not doing this to him again." Sad smile touched her lips, "Besides, I don't want to turn into my mother hating the world and magic because it took her husband away from her."

Silence fell in the room, which was interrupted by Carlos. He stepped in front of Dorian and stared in his face. "How can you stand here and be quiet? The Council can't allow her to risk like that. If he comes back he will be a mere human. Do we want a defenseless mortal around who knows everything about Lugels, who knows how we look and what we do?"

Dorian shot Carlos a warning look, "It's not the most important aspect of this," he said and turned to Nicole, "We can't risk you and your children. Plus what you are attempting is highly against our rules, you are messing with the destiny of the Universe by trying to change the past. The Council will never agree on that."

"Are you sure?" Nicole's eyes sparkled dangerously. She looked around the Council. Everybody stayed quiet backing up their Secretary's decision. Nicole smiled wryly, "I see my father was right," she said quietly, "OK, then I will do it without your permission."

"You won't be able to," Radgiv remarked, "you will need a Lugel to capture yours and Cole's souls."

"And you will help me," Nicole stated calmly.

"Oh, no, girl," Carlos objected, "We are not going to help you, even more we are going to seal you in the Lugels' realm until you come to your senses."

Nicole looked at him coldly, "Are you threatening me?" she asked with a dangerous note in her voice.

"No, but I am just reminding you that no matter how powerful you are, you can't use magic against us because you will lose your powers forever."

Nicole smiled chillingly, "Oh, I remember that very well. But you see, I am not going to use my powers against you. I am just going to tell somebody that you are preventing me from saving Cole." She waived her hand and the wall of the room became suddenly transparent giving the Lugels a view of the living room.

"What the hell?" Carlos could not hide his surprise.

"Oh, these are the Charmed Ones Goddesses." Nicole explained calmly. "See, I was warned that you would not be keen on helping me so I used some precautions. I am not the only one who had just lost somebody very dear to her heart. And if I can't use my powers against you, Phoebe Halliwell and her sisters don't have such restrictions. Lugels lost half the Council fighting the Titans, whom the Charmed Goddesses vanquished just a day ago. So I don't think any of us cherish the opportunity to see what the sisters can do to this Council." She seared the other Lugels with a cold glare, "Phoebe and her sisters are currently waiting for me to come out and say that the Lugels Council is going to do everything they can to save Cole. And if I don't do this within one hour they are going to come into this room themselves. The choice is yours."

"You are blackmailing us?" Dorian cried out.

"No, I am just explaining the situation."

The tensed silence filled the room. Nicole observed the Council praying that she would not have to use the Charmed Ones. Her eyes met with Celina's and she remembered her father's words that Celina would be her best bet. And now she could see the inner struggle in the dark eyes of the French woman. Nicole feverishly thought about the way she could remind Celina about the promise her father mentioned without attracting the attention of the rest of the Council. She cleared her throat, "I am asking the Council for understanding," she started. "Everybody here knows what a promise means, especially a promise given to somebody you love and care for," her eyes fixed on Celina and she noticed the older woman's lips tremble. "Well, I made such promise to Cole," Nicole continued, "I swore to stand by his side in life and death and I will not go back on this. No matter how much I respect the Lugel's Council and our mission I am bound by my word, by my blood to eternal loyalty to my husband. And I believe that the Lugel Council is not going to demand me breaking my oath."

"What about your oath as a Lugel?" Carlos grumbled. "You are a Lugel, you have great powers and with these powers comes great responsibility..." He was ready to continue his lecture but Celina interrupted him.

"Enough of this, Carlos," she said in an emotional voice. "The Chosen Two have been 100 committed to our goal, working very hard to bring about the peace deal. Now it's our turn to show them our loyalty. We need to remember that Lugels are not just magical beings with great powers. We are a team and we should behave like a team. And if we have a chance to save Cole we ought to give it a go."

"Celina," Dorian exclaimed, "What are you talking about?"

"I am saying that I am going to help Nicole," Celina lifted her head defiantly. "I promised William that I will help and protect Nicole and I will keep this promise."

"But what she wants to do is suicide!" Radgiv protested. "And helping her means putting her life in grave danger."

"And not helping her means slowly killing her." Celina stated suddenly very calm. "And I know how painful it can be..." She turned to Nicole, "I will do everything I can to help you..." She smiled at the young woman. Tears stood in Nicole's eyes as she rushed towards Celina and for the first time gave her a hug.

Dorian wanted to interrupt this scene but Vladimir put his hand on his shoulder, "Let it go, Dorian," he said calmly, "There is nothing you can do here and maybe it was simply meant to be, whatever the outcome."


	21. Chapter 21

Dear All! Here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 21 

Elizabeth paced around the room. Ever since Nicole astral projected back into her own body followed by the arrival of the Charmed Ones, the demoness had to use all her will power to contain the immense feeling of anxiety. One look at her daughter-in-law told her that there was still hope to bring Belthazor back. However, when Nicole explained what the associated risks would be, Elizabeth did not know what to say. Part of her screamed that her son's life was worth any risks and dangers. But she also knew that her two unborn grandchildren were under threat of never seeing either of their parents. That was a terrible price to pay and a terrible decision to take. If her son had been here he would not have wanted his wife to risk and her duty as a future grandmother was to tell Nicole this. But how could she? How could she try to convince her not to try to safe Belthazor when there was a chance: a tiny, risky, but still a chance. Elizabeth was convinced that Nicole felt the same hope that flared in her own heart and the same doubts and fears. And even being the Upper level demoness who always thought of emotions as weakness she did not have the heart to voice her concerns knowing full well that she would be putting Nicole under even more pressure.

Elizabeth sat down on the armchair and dropped her head into her hands. For the first time in her life she felt helpless, she did not know what to do. She smiled bitterly to herself thinking that according to the now dead Elder's Council, evil could not love. And here she was, the Source of All Evil, feeling her own heart tearing in half.

A knock on the door forced Elizabeth to straiten up and when Leo walked in she looked as he was used to see her: cold and distant.

"Any news?" Elizabeth asked.

He shook his head, "No." He hesitated for a moment, "I wanted to ask if Nicole had told you any details about how she was planning to save Cole."

Elizabeth had a strange expression on her face, "What did she tell you?" she asked.

Leo shifted from one foot to another, "Not much, just that she had a potion which would separate her spirit from her body so she could trace Cole's spirit and bring it back to this realm."

"Well, that pretty much sums it up," she replied coolly.

Leo hesitated for a moment and then decided to ask what was on his mind ever since Nicole told him about her plan, "But what if she does not manage?" he asked. "What if something goes wrong?"

Elizabeth eyes flared with anger, "What do you care?" she shot her calmness disappearing. "Nothing will happen to you and your precious Halliwells, so you should not worry."

"I am not worried about that," Leo snapped and when she looked at him sarcastically took a few steps closer to her, "Maybe it is hard for you to believe but I care about Cole and Nicole. They don't deserve this. And I know how much Nicole loves him, she will do anything to bring him back no matter how dangerous it is." He took a deep breath and added calmer, "I am just concerned that she would do something stupid...and pointless... just in order to do something."

Elizabeth set down on the sofa and stared in front of her, "She is not doing anything stupid," she said finally looking at Leo. "It's just very dangerous. If Nicole fails she might not be able to return to her body and therefore fell into an eternal coma. And since she is pregnant her children will risk never seeing either of their parents."

"Nicole is pregnant?!" Leo exclaimed. "But how..." He fell silent when he saw Elizabeth's eyes darken with pain. "How can you let her risk like that?" he asked after a long pause, "Cole would not want her to do it."

Once again the demoness' eyes flared with anger but it quickly died down. "I know that, Leo," she said tiredly, "But I can't... I don't know how to tell this to Nicole and I am not even sure that I should."

The former whitelighter opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and plopped on the chair opposite Elizabeth. Her lips twisted into a wry smile which immediately disappeared. "I see you understand it as well. Nicole knows that Belthazor would not want her to take this risk. But how can she not try, if there is still a chance to bring him back. And how can anybody advise her on what to do? She knows all the risks better than we do, she is the babies' mother and I am sure the choice is tearing her apart. She is invincible and immortal. Would you have the heart to tell her not to try to save him, knowing that she would have an eternity alone, not even being able to summon his ghost?"

Leo shook his head, "But what if things go wrong, what would happen to the children? Who will take them? Lugels?"

"No," the voice came from behind him and both Elizabeth and Leo stared at Nicole who stood in the doorframe. She looked pale but strangely calm. "If things go wrong I want you to take the children," she looked at Elizabeth, "You are their grandmother and I am sure you'll do a great job bringing them up."

Elizabeth looked at her stunned, "But I am the Source of All Evil... I live in the Underworld..."

Nicole shrugged her shoulders, "That's fine," she said calmly, "You brought up Cole there and if they turn up like him, I'll be only happy. And in order to outweigh you being the Source of All Evil I will ask Leo to be the babies' God father. Having the Elder and the Source around them would ensure that the balance of good and evil is preserved."

Both Leo and Elizabeth stood speechless and Nicole smiled at them. "I know what you are thinking," she said calmly, "I know that Cole would not want me to risk. And he would want me to be here for the babies. But I can't NOT try...I would not be able to live with myself. And don't feel guilty. I am not asking for your advice or approval. I have taken a decision and I will carry the responsibility for it. Whatever the outcome."

Uneasy silence fell in the room. Finally Elizabeth stood up, "Fine," she said calmly. "It's your decision and we will respect it. But you can't keep me completely out of it. I want to help. I gave a promise to Belthazor that I would help and protect you. And I would like to keep it as much as possible. From what I understand you will need to turn back time when you bring Belthazor' spirit back. Tempus will do it. And I will be at the Schwarzlight Manor to back you up."

Leo nodded approvingly, "And I will be there as well."

Nicole shook her head. "No. Everything has to be as close to the real past as possible. The less our alternative reality differs from truth the better. Plus I don't know what the consequences of my attempt will be so the less people are involved the better. The only help I can accept is Tempus." She took off the wedding ring from her finger and handed it to Elizabeth, "When me and Cole are back the ring will flash. This way you know that it's time."

The demoness took the ring and pulled another one from her pocket. And when Nicole looked at her questioningly, explained. "This is Belthazor's. The demonic wedding rings are enchanted, they are indestructible. Could be very useful for different rituals." A velvet box materialized in her hand and she placed both rings in there, "They'll be waiting for both of you."

Xxxxxxxx

An hour later Nicole opened the door into her uncle's Mansion and headed straight to the office. It looked exactly the same as eight months ago when her destiny as one of the Chosen Two and a Lugel had begun. So many things had happened since then. The most important of which was being with Cole. She pushed this thought out of her head. She could not think about him at the moment, it was physically painful to realize that he was not next to her. So she concentrated on the task ahead. She had to get him back, no matter the cost. And if it was not meant to be then so be it. But if it was then her and Cole could be together again.

Nicole turned to Celina who was following her and asked in what she hoped was a calm voice, "Shall we go?"

The French woman nodded, "Yes, as soon as you are ready."

Nicole smiled wanly, "I think I am never going to be ready."

Celina gave her a reassuring smile, "I believe that you will make it," she said softly, "I don't think Robert would have told you about it if he did not think you had a good chance of success."

The younger woman stared at her, "How do you know that it was my father?"

Celina shook her head, "Who else? Robert was always a rebel, brilliant in everything, especially breaking the rules. But because he was so talented he always got away with it. Nobody else would be able to escape the Upper dimension and tell you about the way to track Cole." She took a step towards Nicole and put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "I knew Robert very well, he adored you and he would have never even came up with this suggestion if he thought that the risks outweighed the chances."

Nicole smiled at her, "I know," she whispered. "It's just... My father said that Cole would not remember me. And I don't know how to convince him to come back?"

"I don't think you should worry, Nicole," Celina smiled at her reassuringly, "Just tell Cole about your life together. Your love is so strong, it lives in his heart and maybe he won't remember how you met but he will remember how he felt about you."

Nicole lowered her head, "That's what I am worried about," she whispered, "Does Cole really love me? I mean I know he cares about me and we fit each other very well. But I sometimes think that Cole's love to me is more of a brotherly type, deep and tender. It's not ardent and crazy like with Phoebe. He just does not want to get hurt again and with me he's guaranteed a calm, safe family."

Celina was completely shocked by her words, "You can't be thinking that," she cried out. "You should know that Cole truly loves you. You were meant for each other."

Nicole smiled unsurely, "Maybe. But I keep thinking that if Phoebe had never rejected Cole, we would not have been together." She shook her head, "Not that it matters, I am happy with him... was happy and I will do my best to save him. But sometimes I doubt that I will be able to convince him to return. He never really says that he loves me. Only twice, once during the wedding ceremony and once after I told him about the baby. It's as if he does not want to lie to me."

Celina shook her head, "You are wrong Nicole, you are so wrong. Cole loves you with all his heart and any word you use to describe his feelings for you is not going to even come close to the sheer passion and depth of his love. If he does not say it very often then maybe it's his character or he is scared... But he feels it, trust me. And you are wrong thinking that if Phoebe and him had not divorced you would not have ended up together."

"You don't know that," Nicole objected.

"Yes, I do," Celina replied calmly. "After Phoebe crashed your wedding, she created an alternative reality in which her and Cole had never divorced. And it ended up the same way as this reality. Cole fell in love with you and left her."

Nicole looked surprised, "How does it happen that I don't know about it?"

Celina shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I guess it was important that we learnt the truth. And if you had known about it, the experiment, if you can call it that, would not have been pure. It was not done by Lugels, but by the power above us. And if this power helped you and Cole to be together maybe it would help you to bring him back."

Nicole smiled and for the first time in the last hours her eyes sparkled with hope, "It's the best encouragement you could have given me, Celina."

She kissed the older woman on a cheek and quickly stepped into the vortex. The French woman followed her and they reappeared in the Lugel's realm. There Nicole took a deep breath and in a swift move swallowed the potion. Her eyes flew open and her body slipped on the coach. Celina settled it in a comfortable position and prepared to wait.

In the Underworld the Source was sitting in her private Chambers her eyes never leaving the sight of two rings. At the Halliwell Manor Phoebe Halliwell was sitting in exactly the same pose in her room staring at Cole's picture her lips whispering a silent plea. And in the Elders realm Elder Wyatt was conducting a meeting between whitelighters. But his thoughts were far away with a man and a woman who were neither his relatives, nor friends, but he would have given anything to see them again.

xxxxxxxx

How long had she traveled for, a minute, an hour, a day? Nicole could not say. But she knew perfectly well, what the purpose of this journey was. Thank God, she retained her memory. The different realms passed around her with the speed of a high-speed train. They were strange and empty, completely different from the realms she visited before. But she did not care how they looked. What was important that Cole was not in one of them and she had to continue her search for him. She had no idea how far from the Upper dimension she was and when would she reach Cole. She stopped even worrying on whether she would be able to convince him to come back with her. It was not important at the moment. First she had to find him. Just one step at a time.

Her pass was becoming darker and darker and suddenly she felt something. Just a bleak feeling but she could not miss it. It was Cole's essence. She could not be mistaken.

"Cole," she sent a telepathic signal, "Can you hear me? Cole!" If Nicole had a heart it would have probably stopped beating now, so intense was her wait for an answer.

And finally it came, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Nicole. Do you remember me?"

There was a pause, "No, I don't. I don't think I've ever met you."

Nicole mentally cursed, "Did you really think it would be that easy?" the voice at the back of her head snapped at her. "Cole you have met me," she tried to put all her love for him into her telepathic message. "I am your wife and I am here to bring you back."

"Back where?"

"Back to our realm. To our home, where we live."

Another pause followed. "I don't remember," he finally muttered, "And I don't have time to stay here and talk to you about it. Maybe later. Now I have to go. Sorry."

"No, wait." Nicole called after him. "Please wait and let me tell you. It won't take long."

Nobody answered and Nicole cursed again. Cole could be such a pain sometimes. She did not let him get away far and caught up with him. "Cole Turner, would you just slow down!"

"I told you I have to go."

"No, you don't," she cried out. "You have to stop and listen to me. I am your wife and I am pregnant with your children. So I suggest you stop running away from me."

He stopped and Nicole caught her breath. "That's not true," he said, but she noticed the hesitation in his thoughts.

"Oh, yes it is. Just try to remember. We met eight months ago and fell in love. We got married a little over a month ago. And we are expecting twins." She stammered, "Well, you don't know about it yet, all you know is that we are going to have a child. But in reality it's twins."

There was another long pause during which Nicole was trying to figure out what else she could say to convince him of the truth. And after what seemed like ages another wave of telepathy reached her, "I am sorry but I think you are mistaken. I don't know you and I am sure that if we were married I would have remembered by wife."

Nicole sighed in exasperation, but she did not let herself to lose her head. "But do you remember anything else? Except for your name, do you remember anything before the moment you have got here?"

He did not answer and if Nicole was not a fleshless ghost she would have been keeping her breath. Her words made an impact; she could sense confusion in him and was scared to add anything else which could change the situation for the worse. The silence lasted very long and Nicole decided that she had to say something. "Cole?" she asked tentatively. "Are you OK?"

His answer made her wince, "No, I am not OK," he hissed. "I can't remember anything. Is that what you wanted to hear? That's why I have to go because when I reach this place I will find out the answers to my questions. And also who had sent you after me."

Nicole was not prepared for so much anger and pain from his side, "But Cole, nobody sent me after you. I went because I love you and because I want to bring you back so we could be together."

"You are lying," he shot, "If you loved me you would not have tried to prevent me from going. Because only when I reach this dimension my memory will return."

"That's not true," Nicole cried out. "Cole, you have to believe me here. Yes, if you go to the Upper dimension your memory will return but then it will be too late. You will not be able to escape from it. And we'll never see each other, you'll never see your children. So your memory will be for nothing, it will just give you more pain. And I don't want this to happen, that's why I have risked everything so I can catch you before it is too late."

Her words caused a struggle inside him but he suppressed it, "I don't believe you," he said slowly, "It is just a trick, you are trying to prevent me from getting my memory back. But it won't work."

He disappeared and for a moment Nicole did not follow him. The fear that she had been pushing away all the time had crept out and overwhelmed her. Was this the end? She failed to convince Cole to believe her? What could she do? Would she just watch, the love of her love leaving her forever? Would she just go back and admit her defeat or should she follow him to the Upper dimension and trade being with him for ever seeing her children. Nicole cursed. If she was not a ghost she would use all her powers to stop Cole even if it meant knocking him out, but being a ghost she was completely helpless. She did not have any powers except...

Nicole perked up. She was not going to let her chance for happiness slip from her without a fight. "You are not going to get rid of me so easily, Cole Turner. And I don't care that you are such a suspicious idiot, I will make you listen to me, whatever the cost."

She set off after him and soon she could again feel his presence. She got a bit closer till she could establish a definite link with him and muttered to herself, "I am sorry, Cole, but it's time for a grand repeat of our telepathic mishap. I know you hate telepathy but you don't leave me any other choice. I went too far to give up now." She concentrated for a moment gathering all her strength and blasted her own memories into his spirit. A blinding flash hit her but she did not break the contact. His memory was definitely blocked as if covered by layers of bricks. But she was not going to give up and focusing all her power started to methodically break them one by one. She could feel herself weakening. But she could not stop, not now when she was so close.

He was caught by something, by a power which hit him hard and made him stop. And then there was this blinding light. Where was it coming from?... He'd seen this light before. Or had he not? He was not sure. But he was sure that something was boring into his mind. What was that? Where was it coming from? Was it the same annoying ghost, whatshername? She said she was his wife, what a nonsense! He would have remembered something like that! Or wouldn't he? He could not remember a thing about himself, except that he was a half demon turned Lugel... What? What he had just thought? Half demon? Lugel? This blinding light really made it difficult for him to concentrate... Nicole must have gone mad... Yes, that's right, her name is Nicole... But did he remember it from when she told him or did he remember it from before. Nicole...Magical green eyes and soft, warm smile.... Nicole... Nicole Berg... Nicole Turner, his wife... His love... The blinding light disappeared with explosion.

"Nicole..." he screamed searching for her. He could sense her soul, but she was weak, very weak. He rushed closer to her, "Nicole, are you OK?"

"Cole..." he could barely hear her.

"Yes, it's me," he replied hastily, "Are you OK?" She did not answer and he felt her slipping away. "No..." he screamed, "Don't you dare give up on me now. We have to get out of here." He concentrated hard on trying to establish a link with her just as they always did when they needed to amplify their powers. And finally he could feel the flow of telepathy between them but it was so weak. "Stay with me," he whispered softly trying to pour all his love for her into these three words. "Just stay with me... I promise I'll keep you safe, just hold on a little longer."

Xxxxxxxxx

"Heres, Terek, Zes...Heres, Terek, Zes... Heres, Terek, Zes..." Celina repeated the names of the ancient Lugels just to keep herself in the state of meditation. She was worried sick about Nicole and she needed her senses to be extra receptive so she would be able to locate Nicole's and Cole's spirits when they arrived. Repeating the sonorous names helped her to keep her nerves at bay and she purposefully refused to open her eyes and look at the clock. "Heres, Terek, Zes... Heres, Terek, Zes... Heres..." She stopped suddenly sensing something. Is it? Or not? It felt strange, not one spirit and not two separate ones, more like Siamese twins linked together.

"For God's sake, Celina, would you just stop your stupid meditation and help me. Nicole is very weak."

There was no doubt that this telepathic message belonged to some very pissed off half demon ghost. The French Lugel concentrated her powers and once she managed to locate the spirits she ordered Cole, "You have to break your link."

"I can't," he shot back. "I told you she is very weak."

"She'll be fine," Celina replied sternly, "I'll catch her, but I can't do it while you are linked to her, because this way I could return both your spirits into Nicole's body."

"But..." he started.

"Stop arguing with me, Cole Turned and do as I say. Or we all will be in a hell of a trouble."

Reluctantly he broke the contact with Nicole and the next moment he could feel her spirit being pulled away from him.

Celina focused on Nicole's spirit and with a combination of her telepathy and telekinesis pushed it into her body. Not wasting any time she focused again on Cole's spirit and chanted a short spell. Her efforts were rewarded with the transparent shape of the half demon becoming visible.

"Welcome back," the French woman smiled at him. But Cole ignored her. He rushed towards Nicole who was still unconscious on the coach.

"Why is she not waking up?" he demanded.

"She is exhausted," Celina explained. "She will be fine."

"Fine?" he gave her a furious look. "How could you let her risk like that? Are you out of you damn wits?"

"Oh, shut it, Cole. We don't have time for that." She fixed the ghost with a strict glare. "Listen to me. The time is about to be reversed any moment. You will find yourself back at the Schwarzlight Manor seconds before you died. You will be watching yourself from a distance and don't try to change the course of events. But the moment I say "Go" you will have to shoot into your own body. Is it clear?"

He did not have time to reply. The minute hand started to rotate backwards, its speed increasing with every move.

XXXXXXXXX

Her head was killing her...She felt as if millions of needles were poking into her temples. It was unbearable...

"It was one of my best decisions to pass my invincibility to you," she heard.

Her heart stopped and Nicole forced herself to open her eyes.

"It was indeed."

Nicole jerked her head and saw her mother standing near the gate.

"Go," Celina yelled and with a click of her fingers her and Cole changed positions.

The ghost did not waste any time and with the speed of a comet shot into Cole's body.

A massive explosion threw Nicole to the ground. She tried to scramble to her feet but was too weak to get up and only managed to lift herself on her elbows. She looked around wildly, her eyes catching the settling dust of the wreckages of the big SUV and landed on Cole. The half demon had fallen to his knees his eyes looking around dizzily.

"Cole!" Nicole sighed with relief.

His groggy eyes stared at her and finally he whispered hoarsely, "Nicole..."

"No," a loud yell made Nicole jerk her head and she saw her mother staring at Cole with hatred and horror mixed on her face. Katherine snatched a gun from her pocket, "I will kill you even if it's the last thing I do."

Cole flung his hand forward expecting to send Katherine flying into the bushes but nothing happened. The next moment a massive ball of fire and electricity hit the older woman in the chest and destroyed both her body and soul. The half demon turned to his wife, "Thank you," he said hoarsely scrambling to his feet and helping her to get up as well.

She smiled at him, "Don't thank me," she put her hand on her stomach, "Thank them. It was your son and daughter who saved their daddy."

His eyes sparkled and he pulled her into a tight hug. "I am so mad at you," he whispered huskily, kissing the top of her head, "so mad for risking your life that I could probably have killed you myself."

She did not reply and just snuggled closer to him, hugging him tightly. His hands caressed her back and then moved up and pulled her head away so he could look into her eyes. Nicole faced her husband with a bit of a fear but when she saw his sparkling blue eyes she as usuallyd forgot about everything and was completely mesmerized just like the first time she met him. And as usually Cole felt himself drowning in the emerald pools that were full of love and warmth. He sighed and muttered, "What you do to me is beyond..." he could not find the right word and just smiled resignedly, "I can't be mad at you... I love you way too much." She returned his smile and lifted her face so her lips touched his. He responded to her kiss passionately but quickly pulled away, "But from now on, young lady," he gave her a stern look, "I'll be keeping a very close eye on you."

A discrete cough interrupted them and the young couple turned around to see Elizabeth standing with her eyes full of tears. "Belthazor..." she whispered in a low voice.

He took a step towards her and she pulled him into a tight embrace, "I am fine, Mother. Everything is fine." The demoness did not say anything and just silently nodded into his shoulder unable to suppress her tears.

Nicole's eyes darted around the scene trying to find Celina. But the French woman was nowhere to be seen. "Where is Celina," Nicole asked worriedly and turned to Elizabeth, "Do you know what happened to her?"

The demoness pulled away from her son and did her utter best to calm down, "She switched places with Belthazor," she explained hoarsely, "just before the explosion."

"But it should not matter," Cole scanned the surrounding area, "She is invincible."

His words were confirmed by the sight of Celina who was getting out of the wreckage coughing non stop.

"Celina!" Nicole rushed towards her, "Thank good you are OK."

The older woman nodded trying at the same time to get the small debris out of her hair, "Yes," she managed to croak. "But I can tell you it was a hell of an explosion." She finally stopped coughing and smiled, "I am so glad you are back, Cole," she said warmly.

He grinned back at her, "So am I," he admitted, wrapping one hand around Nicole and drawing her closer. "It's great to be back, though I still don't understand exactly what happened and why my powers don't work."

Three women exchanged uneasy glances and Nicole turned to face her husband, "It's because..." she started carefully picking her words, "Your powers don't work because they were passed onto our unborn children. And even turning back time does not change that."

He stared at her in shock, "You mean I am powerless?" he finally said his voice sounding slightly distant.

She nodded and looked at him pleadingly, "It's the only way I could bring you back. As a human." She saw pain in his eyes and added hastily, "We can try and fix that and I am sure we will manage to restore your powers as Belthazor, but..."

She trailed off and Celina stepped in, "You won't be a Lugel anymore, Cole. Your powers went into your children and they will be the first ever Lugels to be born, they'll be the Heirs of Magic."

Cole ran his hand through his hair trying to get his thoughts together. Conflicting feelings fought inside him. On one hand he was really happy to be back. Being back was a real miracle and he did not want to seem ungrateful. But part of him felt robbed and immensely scared, the memories of what happened the two times he was powerless were very fresh in his mind. The first time he fell a victim to the Source and the nightmares of these three months still haunted his dreams. And the second time was just a few hours ago and he was completely helpless and instead of protecting Nicole and the babies he put their lives at risk. He had a long list of enemies, he was the son of the Source. How would demonic world react when they found out that the mighty Belthazor, the member of the Source's Council and Belthora's son was just a mere human? He would be putting his family at an immense risk by being next to them. His thoughts were interrupted when everything around him suddenly froze.

"What's going on?" Nicole asked looking at the motionless Elizabeth and Darryl.

"It is time!" Celina uttered in great shock.

And then the voice from now completely blue sky boomed, "Yes, it is but only for you."

Celina raised her head and a light smile touched her lips, "I am ready," she said calmly, but then frowned, "But what will happen to them?"

"Oh, they have a destiny ahead of them," the voice answered, "But you had fulfilled yours, you saved the lives of the Chosen Two and came to the end of your pass."

Celina nodded, "Who will replace me?" she asked calmly.

"He will," the voice answered and Celina felt her powers oozing from her. Cole gasped as a something rushed through his body forcing him to bend in half. "_The magic both lost and acquired_. Use it well, Belthazor."

Nicole could not believe her eyes. Celina took a few steps towards Cole and hugged him. "I am so glad that you will still be a Lugel, Cole," she said emotionally. "I know you will do great things and it's an honor for me that you'll be the one commanding my powers."

"He will be more than a Lugel," the voice said. "From now on the Chosen Two will start the new part of their destiny as a Guardians of Magic. Their duty will be to preserve the peace between good and evil and be the Heads of the High Court of Magic."

Cole and Nicole exchanged shocked glances and the latter asked, "Does it mean that we will be no longer members of the Lugel's Council?"

"No, you will still be members," the voice replied, "but you won't be doing day to day work. Your duties will be in maintaining the peace. You can see this as promotion."

There was a long pause and then the voice continued, "You know the rules, Celina, you have forty days."

"I don't need forty days," Celina objected, "I can go now." She turned to Cole and Nicole, "You understand," she said quietly, "I waited so long for this. I don't want to be apart from him any longer."

Nicole nodded tears standing in her eyes, "I understand," she said and gave Celina a big hug. "Thank you," she whispered emotionally, "Thank you for everything." She pulled away and added, "Say "Hello" to them from me and say that I love them both."

Celina nodded, "I will," she turned to Cole and gave him a tight hug, "Take care of her. She deserves the best."

"I will," he nodded and heard in his head Celina's voice.

"And God help you if you hurt her."

With these words Celina disappeared and the booming voice announced, "You broke a lot of rules, Nicole. But I guess I knew it was coming knowing who your father was. Treasure what you've got and remember with great powers comes great responsibility. Next time magic will not be that forgiving." The world around them unfroze and the Chosen Two sighed with relief. The sun was rolling behind the horizon. The day was finally over.


	22. Chapter 22

  
Chapter 22 

Two weeks later the magic world was settling into the new era. After heated discussions the High Council of Underworld and the Elders Council had signed an armistice and created a joined commission which would make sure that both sides kept their end of the bargain.

The news was broken to the Charmed Ones by Head Elder Wyatt who orbed into the Manor and found his family gathered in the living room with Darryl having his first look at Wyatt who was peacefully asleep in his crib.

The three sisters were completely shocked by the news. "You mean that good and evil are not fighting each other any more?" Phoebe asked not believing her ears.

Leo shook his head, "Not exactly, good and evil will still be on opposite sides but they will refrain from killing each other."

Paige lifted her eyebrows, "I don't think it's going to work," she said doubtfully. "Our job is to protect the innocents and demonic nature is to kill them."

"I am not saying it's going to be easy," Leo defended his position, "but it can be done. You must have noticed that for the last few months the demonic attacks have reduced dramatically. And it's because the Source channelled their activities into business. Now this trend will continue and the witches will concentrate on charitable work, teaching, healing. They will try to improve the inner human nature. Because we all know that not every human is an innocent and by making mankind kinder and better the good will fight evil in a much more effective way. And of course there will be forces consisting of both witches and demons, who will be keeping an eye on the situation. They will have the power to punish any member of each side for breaking the peace treaty."

Three witches fell silent trying to take in this news and finally Piper asked, "So what about us, about the Power of Three and our destiny."

"Well, you are still the Charmed Ones, you will keep all your powers, it's just you probably will be using them differently. For example Phoebe can use her empath gift to help others through her "Ask Phoebe" column. Piper can use her potion mixing skills to create healing remedies and Paige can use her whitelighter powers to guide lost souls. So your role will be using your powers for peace."

"But we're obviously not going to be part of the peace keeping force?!" Paige commented sarcastically.

Leo hesitated but decided to reply honestly, "No, you are not. You are too much hated by the demonic world. Plus," he added hastily, seeing a derisive smile appearing on Paige's mouth. It's good to keep something in reserve in case of emergency." A doorbell interrupted him. Paige volunteered to see who it was. She flung the door open and froze at the sight of a couple standing at the porch.

"Hi, Paige," Cole greeted her, "Can we come in?"

The young witch gave him a hostile look but stepped aside allowing Cole and Nicole to enter the Manor. They followed her into the living room where Paige announced with an obvious sarcasm in her voice, "Look who decided to drop by."

Her sisters stared at the visitors and the room filled with tension. Leo was the first to get up from his seat, "Nicole!" he greeted, "Cole! What brings you here?"

Nicole smiled trying to ignore the hostile looks that Paige and Darryl were sending her and the wide eyed way, in which Phoebe stared at Cole. "We came to say thank you," she explained calmly, "You helped us so much in a very difficult moment of our lives. And I am sorry we could not do it earlier. We owe you more than we can ever repay."

She paused and Cole continued, "With everything happening we were tied up for the last two weeks and I did not want to just shimmer in here, so..." he paused fighting the uncomfortable feeling which Phoebe's sparkling gaze caused in him, "we thought we had to thank you in person, especially me. Since we had not been the best of friends in the past year, I am really grateful for your help." He fell silent mentally praying that his ex-wife would stop staring at him.

Nicole who was doing her best to ignore the tension in the room, which could be cut with a knife, lifted the box she was holding and handed it to Piper, "It's for Wyatt, congratulations to both you and Leo."

Piper hesitated for a moment but then took the present, "Thank you," it was the first word spoken by the member of the Halliwell family and the oldest Halliwell felt that it was her duty to say something else, "We are very happy that everything ended up for the best for you." She looked at her sisters waiting for them to confirm.

Paige did not say anything but her lips twisted into a sarcastic smile. Phoebe finally managed to tear her gaze from Cole, "Yes, we are very happy that we could help," she said.

Once again the room fell into the uncomfortable silence. Nicole shot her husband a look and saw almost pleading in his eyes. She knew that Cole wanted to be as far away from the Halliwell Manor as possible and she had to agree with him. Never in her life had she participated in such tensed conversation, even when they had faced the Lugel's Council for the first time after Celina's death.

"We should probably go," she started, "I just wanted to mention to Darryl that my offer is still valid and if you, inspector, want to forget everything you saw that day then it can be easily arranged."

Darryl who kept looking at her with a very wary eyes shook his head, "No, I am cool," he denied her offer and his fear was so obvious that both Cole and Nicole had to hide a smile.

"Well, in that case," Cole sighed with relief, "we'll be off. Thank you all very much again. I will never forget your help and if you ever need anything, just let us know."

With these words he and Nicole turned away when Phoebe stopped them, "Wait," she cried out finally gathering her courage. "I just wonder if I could have a word with Cole." Everybody stared at her in surprise and she explained hastily, "It will only take a minute, I just want to ask him something."

Cole hesitated and shot Nicole a look. A instant pause followed as the young woman fought with the jealousy flaring in her heart, "Of course," she said smiling, "I'll wait for you outside." She headed to the door, while Cole followed Phoebe into the kitchen.

The middle Halliwell took a deep breath and faced her ex husband. "I am sorry," she muttered, "but I had a feeling that I won't see you for a while. And since I have just received my empath powers I suppose it is true?"

Cole shook his head, "That's OK," he said no answering her question. "Don't worry about it."

Phoebe smiled at him, "I want to thank you for the flowers," she said, "they were beautiful."

"It was the least I could do," he said gently, "Nicole told me how you convinced your sisters to help her. And I wanted to tell you how grateful I was. Looking at Paige, I can see that it was not easy."

A naughty smile lit up Phoebe's face. "You have no idea," she muttered. "Paige is a true Halliwell."

He returned her smile but did not say anything and she realized that he was ready to go. It was now or never. "Where is your wedding ring, Cole?" she blurted out. "I mean the one from our wedding?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My wedding ring?" he repeated, "Why are you asking?"

Phoebe shifted her weight from one foot to another, "Because if you still got it I would like to have it." Cole's eyes widened and she added hastily, "It's of no use to you and for me it means a lot. And it won't hurt anybody if I have it. It would be even easier for you, otherwise Nicole can find it and might get upset." He did not say anything and her face fell, "Unless, you don't have it anymore."

Cole finally found his tongue, "I have it," he said simply. "After we got divorce I collected everything that was related to you and sent it all to storage so the ring is there."

"Then I would like to have it," she stated calmly.

"Phoebe," Cole paused trying to find the right words, "Why do you want it? I mean, don't you think it would just disturb the past ..."

She shook her head adamantly, "Cole, I know what I am doing. I just want it like something I could remember you by. Flowers don't last and the ring is something that we shared. You have moved on and I will do the same. But I would like to have this memory. I need it to put the past behind me and don't worry I will not disturb you any more."

She saw hesitation in his eyes and added, "You just said that if we ever needed anything you would do it. Well, I need this ring."

He looked at her determined face and sighed resignedly, "Fine, if you are so sure." He waived his hand and the ring appeared in his palm. He handed it to Phoebe. She took it from him and smiled gratefully, "Thank you." She rose to her toes and kissed him, "Bye, Cole." With these words she turned around and ran upstairs knowing that she would not be able to hold her tears back. For a moment the half demon looked after her. Then he shook his head and headed out of the Manor.

XXXXXXXX

Paige watched through the window how the black Porsche drove away from the Manor. "That's was fun," she commented sarcastically. "Seeing this arrogant bitch trying to sound grateful was probably one of the memories I will never forget."

Piper shook her head, "Come on, Paige. Don't be so bitter. I think she really meant it. Knowing how much she loves Cole, she is probably over the moon that he is back. Plus they did not have to come here. They could have just sent us flowers or something but they chose to come and I think it was more Nicole who wanted to thank us. Cole just looked extremely uncomfortable."

"Well, no surprise here," Paige snorted, "The way Phoebe was eyeing him in front of his wife was quiet pathetic if you ask me."

"Poor Phoebe," Piper sighed, "I hope she'll get over him. Sometimes I wish that Cole would still love her so that they could be happy together."

"Oh, no," Paige cried out, "Are you out of your mind, Piper? We don't need that bastard in our life. In my opinion he and this blonde Nicole make a pair. Both of them are capable of things that no decent person will ever do. We always knew that Cole was a ruthless evil demon and now we know that Nicole is just the same. The way she killed her mother and all these other people, I think her and Cole deserve each other. They are both so arrogant and conceited and I hope that one day they find troubles on their asses."

Her monologue was interrupted by Leo, who could not take it anymore, "Shut up, Paige," he snapped angrily, "How can you be so cruel and narrow minded?? Cole saved you so many times. If it was not for him you would have been killed before you even found out you were a witch. And how can you talk like this about Nicole. Her mother was a psychotic murderer who killed Cole in front of her eyes. If it was me I would have done exactly the same. And by the way we are not any better, we killed Cole when he was a defenceless human. So I think we are not in any position to judge them."

His words made Paige squirm uncomfortably but she was not about to change her opinion so Piper decided to interfere before this argument got into a real fight. "Leo, I know that you feel very bad about the way we treated Cole and I agree with you that we owed him for our mistake. That's why we agreed to help Nicole. And in my opinion we have done a lot to redeem ourselves. Plus it was an honest mistake and we feel very bad about it. But you have to agree that both Cole and Nicole are very different sort of people. They are capable of things none of us will do. I mean we vanquish demons but we only do it to protect ourselves and innocents. We never do it out of revenge. And that is what always made me wary of Cole. I never felt save with him, like I always felt with you even before we were in love. I know you would never really hurt anyone. You are just incapable of things like that."

Leo did not say anything. He just stared at his wife, his face unusually pale and his eyes having a strange expression in them. Piper frowned, "What is it honey?" she asked worriedly, "Did I say something wrong?"

The Elder mentally shook himself, "No," he said forcing a smile to his face, "Nothing, I've just heard a call. I have to go." He made a step towards Wyatt and kissed him softly. Piper watched them her sad eyes full of love and worry. "Will you be back later?" she asked.

Leo nodded, "Yes, of course. I will need to take Wyatt for his vicanning." And with these words he orbed out.

XXXXXXXXX

Cole and Nicole left the office of a law firm after the announcement of Celina's will. As they expected her fortune was put into a Trust to be passed to their unborn children. And Nicole inherited the house. They drove towards the Schwarzlight Mansion but first went into Celina's house.

"What do you want to do with this place?" Cole asked his wife.

Nicole shrugged her shoulder, "I honestly don't know. I mean we already have the Penthouse and my uncle's Mansion. I just don't know what we could do with this one and it would be a shame if it just stands empty."

The half demon nodded, "I know," he said. "But I feel uncomfortable selling it."

"Oh, that's not an option," she walked around the room and then went into the bedroom. There she picked up jaded beads, which she often saw Celina count, when the French Lugel was deep in thoughts.

"I miss her," she said quietly. "I always had a feeling that I could rely on Celina. She was like... I don't know... not a mother but like an aunt to me. And it's strange to know that she is not longer here."

Cole pulled her into his arms, "I know," he said gently. "It's not easy for you at the moment. So many things have changed. We've been working for so long on this peace deal and now when it's actually happened, I feel very strange. As if I have just come up from a spinning vortex but not in the place I expected."

Nicole smiled into his chest. Cole described her own feelings perfectly and she was again surprised how similar they were. She lifted her head, "Are you sure you want to go away from San Francisco?" she asked. "I mean we don't have to."

Cole shook his head, "No, I think it's a right decision. This place is too full of memories. I think it would be good for us to move away from everything. I've been here long enough."

Nicole nodded and snuggled close to him. For the last two weeks she hated every moment her and Cole were apart and every inch that separated them. She was telling herself that now both of them were invincible and she should not be scared anymore but it did not help. She could not fight off the fear that settled into her heart after what happened. Facing the life without him it shook her confidence in the future. She knew that only time could help and she hoped that change of scenery would make the process faster. Cole must have realized it as well and suggested that they moved away for a while. They decided to go to London since DLM had an office there. Distance did not really matter since shimmering and blurring made the travel almost instantaneous. Nicole looked forward for a change of surroundings.

"We should probably go," Cole reminded her quietly. "We'll be late for Wyatt's vicanning."

Nicole pulled away from him and nodded, "You're right." She opened her bag and put the beads she was still holding in it. "Do you think that your mother will convince the prophet to do a reading for him? He is not a demon really."

Cole smiled, "Of course, she will. You know her, she does not take "no" for an answer."

Nicole lips twisted into a wry smile, "Oh, yes, I know your mother. I am just surprised that Leo asked us to do that. To be honest, I would have never thought that he would even think about it."

Cole shrugged his shoulders, "I think he is just worried and wants to make sure that what we've done had changed Wyatt's destiny. Of course we could not get any threatening premonitions but it does not hurt to make sure."

"Oh, I agree with that. But using a dark magic prophet? Plus doing it behind Piper's back? Does not sound like something Leo would do willingly. But..." she paused thoughtfully. "I guess he had changed a lot."

"A lot?" The half demon repeated, "I think it's an understatement. I have known Leo for three years and I would have never in my wildest dreams even imagine that he is capable of things he did. Sometimes I feel that we don't know Leo at all. My mother keeps saying that still waters run deep. But with Elder Wyatt, I have no idea how deep."

Nicole lifted her eyebrows, "You sound like you disapprove of him."

He shook his head, "No, I like Leo the way he is now. If he was like this before we probably could have been friends. But I am not sure that this change will make him happy." He stared in a distance, "I mean he loves Piper, but from what I know about her, I really doubt she would be able to accept him the way he is. I hope I am wrong...But can you see her staying with Leo if he tells her the truth about the Titans. And if he doesn't what kind of a marriage it will be?"

Nicole lowered her head. She did not want to think about the real reasons behind the Titan's release. It made her think that she also was hiding the truth from Cole about his son. She hated lying to him, though she kept telling herself that technically it was not a lie since he had not asked her. But she still felt guilty.

She did not notice how he made a step closer to her and lifted her chin. His blue eyes stared at her. "Nicole, I know..." he said calmly.

She did not understand at first and then her face paled. "What do you mean?" she asked her voice sounding unusually husky.

He gave her a long look, "I know why Leo released the Titans...I know about the Elders and my son..."

She did not know what to say and at the end just asked, "How?"

"From our telepathic exchange, when you restored my memory. You blasted a lot of your memories at me and this was one of them."

Her lips trembled, "Are you mad at me for not telling you?"

Cole shook his head, "I am not mad. You were right when you told Leo, that I'd known all the way on some level. I've just never wanted a confirmation."

"I am really sorry," she said softly, "I did not want you to be hurt again."

He smiled and his finger touched her lips, "I know," he said gently, "It does not matter. You can't bring back the past and that's not what I want to anyway. I am so happy with you. And I just hope that you know it as well. You are the love of my life, Nicole. If I have not said it as often as I should have, it's because I was scared to jinx it and because I don't have enough words to describe it. My heart is completely filled with you, I love you deep and tender, passionate and fiercely. And trust me, there is nothing brotherly in my feelings for you." He noticed tears in her eyes and a cheeky smiled touched his lips, "It's all pure lust..."

His humor helped Nicole not to fall into pieces. She smiled at him, "Cole Turner, you are the bravest father-to-be I've met, telling things like that to a pregnant woman. I could easily drown both of us in tears right now."

He leaned towards her and his lips were just a millimetre from hers, "Oh, I would not let it to happen," he whispered and kissed her with all the passion he had. Nicole wrapped her hands around his neck forgetting everything they've been talking about.

XXXXXXXX

Piper was standing proudly next to her sisters and Leo. It was Wyatt's vicanning and the whole family gathered for it. Leo invited a few whitelighters with whom he was close and himself was holding his son. The ceremony was almost over and Leo raised his head and met the dark eyes of the male whitelighter. Next moment the latter waved his hand and the whole room froze except for Leo, Wyatt and another two whitelighters, who immediately shapeshifted into Nicole and Elizabeth.

The demoness did not waste any time, "Let's go," she said and the five of them shimmered out with Cole and Nicole holding Leo from either side. They reappeared in front of a wooden hut.

The prophet was already waiting for them. He peered over Wyatt who woke up and stared at the creature in front of him. The prophet made a few passes over the baby and then turned away his eyes becoming glazed. A few moments later they returned to normal and he turned to Leo. "You can ask me questions now," he said.

Leo was not prepared and shot a quick look at Nicole who just nodded to him encouragingly.

"Will he turn evil?" the Elder asked finally.

"No," the prophet replied.

"Will he be happy?" Leo asked the next question.

The prophet shrugged his shoulders, "Happiness is very subjective. I can only talk about facts."

"Will he have a long life?" Leo asked again.

"For a human - yes."

The Elder did not know what else to ask, his head was full of questions and pulling one out was almost impossible. He finally decided to ask another one, "Tell me, what his life will be like?"

The prophet's penetrating eyes stared at Leo, "This boy is from the Warren line and his life would be ruled by their history. You are an angel, you have a long life ahead of you and you will go much further than just being an Elder. Your son on the other hand, though has your powers, is just a human. And he will have a mortal life like his mother with all its good and bad."

Leo could not suppress the slight shudder of fear. Listening to his son's future was the scariest thing he had ever had to do. But he could not contain his curiosity and asked the last question which he thought about for the last months, "Will me and Piper be together?"

The prophet lips were touched by a hint of a smile, "Of course, as long as you both want it." And with these words he disappeared.

Leo stared after him and did not even notice how Cole and Nicole took him by both arms and shimmered away followed by Elizabeth.

When they arrived back to the Manor, Nicole touched Leo's shoulder, "Leo," she said gently, "We are going to unfreeze the room." He nodded and the next moment Piper whispered to him.

"Can I hold him now? You must be tired." He did not object and passed Wyatt to his mother, his thoughts still far away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nicole packed the last items into her travel bag when Cole entered the bedroom. "Leo is here," he said.

She nodded and came out into the living room where the whitelighter was sitting in the chair. He lifted his eyes and the young woman noticed a strange look in his eyes, "Is everything OK, Leo?" she asked.

The Elder's eyes focused on her, "Yes, I am fine" he mumbled and then got up from his seat and said in a more steady voice, "I came to say good buy."

"That's nice of you," Nicole smiled, "But you know we are just one orb away. Orbing here or to London is no different."

He nodded, "I know," he said, "It's just..." he stopped when somebody blurred into the Penthouse.

"Oh, I am sorry," Vladimir apologized. "I did not know you had guests."

"That's OK," Leo assured him. "I should be going anyway. Have a good trip." He disappeared in swirl of blue orbs. But in stead of reappearing in the Elder's realm he found himself in some strange plane and next to him he saw Cole.

The half demon smiled, "Sorry for the surprise," he said. "I just wanted to say a few words to you in private." Leo looked at his ex brother-in-law and the latter continued. "About the Titans. I know why you did it, Leo. And I feel really sorry that you had to learn the truth first. If it had been me, I don't know what I would have done but I doubt it would have been anything different from you. So what I am trying to say is don't blame yourself too much. What's done is done. And with all the good you've done so far and will do in the future the balance is pretty much in your favor anyway."

Leo smiled sadly, "I don't know, Cole," he said, "And sometimes I don't think I care. I feel as if my life has spun completely out of control and I don't know what to do to fix it."

"I think your life is just back to normal," the half demon objected.

"But me and Piper are as far away as ever," Leo cried out.

Cole shook his head, "I disagree," he said, "I know that you being an Elder complicates things but I am sure that you can find a solution. We are in a new era of magic, a lot of rules and traditions are changing and when things settle down a bit, we can arrange that you will be able return to the Manor."

His words made Leo wince as if from pain, "It's not what concerns me," he muttered, "I know that with time I'll be able to return to the Manor, but I am not sure I want to..."

He trailed off as he saw Cole's eyes widening in surprised. The half demon was so shocked that for a moment he did not know what to say. Before his ability to talk returned to him the Elder heaved a frustrated sigh, "Look," he blurted out, "I love Piper with all my heart and I want to be with her. But I am no longer the man she fell in love with. And I am just not sure that she would still want to be with me if she had known what I've done."

Cole ran his hand through his hair, "I am afraid I am not the right person to give advice when it comes to a Halliwell," he admitted, "If it was me I probably would not have told her. Otherwise you would have to tell her everything about the Wyatt's future and so on and on."

"But I can't lie to her," Leo exclaimed, "It won't be a marriage anymore. Weren't you the one going on to Phoebe about the important of trust?"

"Yes, I was," Cole grumbled. "But you were the one pointing out to me that truth did not do me and Phoebe any good."

"But did it not end up for the best for you?" Leo yelled, "You have met Nicole and now you don't have to hide anything from her. She loves you the way you are..."

Cole did not know what to say. He sighed and looked straight into the Elder's eyes, "I can't help you here, Leo, I am sorry. I wish I could... But only you can decide. But think carefully, you and Piper have a son together. This is worth everything. I know how much you love him. You risked so much to save your family. And now you've got what you wanted. Piper and Wyatt are safe."

Leo smiled at him, "I know," he said calmer, "It's worth everything."

Cole returned his smile, "Look, I've never answered your apology, all these months ago. I really appreciated it, it was very brave of you." He stretched his hand to Leo, "If you need our help, any type of help, come and see us in London."

Leo took his hand, "I will," he said simply.

Cole nodded and in the next moment the Elder returned to his realm and the Lugel reappeared in the Penthouse.

When Cole shimmered away saying that he forgot to discuss with Leo how the Elder's Council would be participating in the maintenance of the peace deal, Nicole was left alone with Vladimir. The older Lugel looked very tired. It seemed that in a space of a few days he had aged ten years. Nicole had her own thoughts on the reasons behind such change but she did not know what to say and left it up to him to start the conversation.

"I came to wish you good luck," Vladimir's voice sounded unusually gentle, "in starting a new stage of your destiny and to apologize," he paused for a moment and then continued, "for not telling you the truth about the Prophecies. I know it had damaged the relationships between you and the Council and probably you have all the rights not to trust us. It's just..." he paused again, which was very unusual for him, "when we first found out the truth we felt that if we had told you, you would have never even come close to each other. And then Celina was convinced that it would rob you of any chance for the true happiness in your life and..." he faltered and fell silent.

Nicole looked into his eyes, which usually radiated a calm wisdom and now were full of emotions. "You really loved her?" she asked quietly.

He shot her a look and then smiled sadly, "I did...But I knew I'd never had a chance." He sighed and continued, "From the moment her and William met I knew that they had feelings for each other. I am a son of a dark prophetess and an empath. And by profession I am an archimandrite of the Orthodox Church. I know human nature and I can't be mistaken when I see two people in love. And William and Celina were. But they were both Lugels and before you and Cole no Lugels had ever got together. It was sort of an unspoken taboo. William was a Secretary of the Council when Celina became a Lugel and they both fought their feelings for ten years. I don't think anybody except me had even noticed anything. But finally they decided to try." He paused and looked at Nicole, "The night your father died they were together. And I don't think William had ever recovered from that. He blamed himself for not sensing the danger. Him and Celina took it as a punishment for their affair. Though they were neighbors and worked together very closely for twenty five years they denied themselves a right to be together. When it was his time to go he made Celina promise that she would protect you and try to make you happy. I was the only one who knew about it. When she learnt about the Prophecy she did not know what to do. She came to me and we talked a lot and both decide that you should have a chance to be happy." He smiled again and turned to face Nicole, "Maybe we were wrong and I am really sorry for that. She did not want you to repeat her life of never being with the man she loved and I could not say "no" to her."

Tears stood in Nicole's eyes. "It's a really sad story," she said gently.

Vladimir just nodded, "Well, at least she is happy now," he said quiet, "they are finally together..."

Nicole picked up her bag and pulled out of it the jaded beads. She handed them to the older Lugel, "These are for you," she said trying to calm down. "And if you want I'll give you the keys to her house. You can stay there whenever you want."

He took the beads and spread them on his palm, "Thank you," he replied, "I'll take these, but I don't want the key to her house. It would be too much." He lifted his eyes and they were again full of calm wisdom. "I should be going," he said. "Please tell Cole, that I am really happy that he is back. I always knew that you two were destined for greatness and I think you are destined to be happy too." He smiled at her, "Take it as a prophecy from my side." With these words he blurred away and Nicole was left alone.

She walked towards the window and looked at the beautiful view, which opened up to her: the sun was setting behind the horizons painting the city in beautiful glowing colors. The sound of a shimmer made her turn her head and she saw her husband appearing just behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned on his masculine frame. His lips touched the top of head, "Are you OK?" he asked softly inhaling the beautiful smell of her hair.

She nodded, "Yes, I am," she whispered back caressing his hands, "I am with you, that's all I need to be happy."

He pulled her closer and lowered his head so his lips reached her ear, "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said and suddenly realized that she had never said it out loud. This discovery hit her and she swirled round to face him, "You know I love you?!" she asked searching his face with worried eyes.

He smiled at her, his eyes sparkling brightly, "I know," he said, "But it's great to hear it, I was beginning to worry that you would never say it out loud."

For a second Nicole felt horrible. She was the one to accuse Cole of not saying that he loved her often enough whereas she was the one who never said it back. For her it was so obvious that she loved Cole with every cell in her body that it had never even occurred to her that she had not told him about it. She hugged him tightly and whispered, "I love you so much, Cole, with all my heart and soul."

She could feel him smiling as he stroked her back gently. They stood like this for a while. When the sun had completely disappeared behind the horizon he lifted her chin so he could see her eyes, "Ready to go, Mrs Turner?" he asked.

She nodded and went to pick up her bag. To her surprise she found an envelope on top of it. Nicole turned to her husband, "Is this from you?" she asked curiously.

The half demon shook his head and when she gave him a suspicious look added seriously, "Word of honor." He came closer to her and watched as she pulled out a note from the envelope and started to read,

"_Dear Cole and Nicole,_

_We know that the last months were not easy for you but we hope that they were happy months as well. At the same time it does not change the fact that you have not even had a proper honeymoon. So please accept this gift from us. You are entering a new stage of your lives and we think that two weeks on the Maldives will be a good start._

_With all our love,_

_Robert, William, Celina and Vladimir_"

When Nicole finished reading, the envelope that she still held in her hand disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and the young couple felt themselves spinning down the vortex. The next moment they stood on a beautiful beach and the sun had just appeared on the horizon. It was the beginning of a new day.

The end.

**Hi everybody! Well, we have arrived to the end of the road. This is the last chapter. Big THANK YOU to everybody who read the story and especially those who reviewed it. Some of you stayed with me all the way and I want to say that I really appreciate it. I have some ideas for the sequel but I am not sure that I should continue. So if you would like the story to continue please write me a few words. **


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